An Innovative Interprofessional Simulation: Preparing Students to Tackle the Challenge of Care Transitions

INTRODUCTION Transitions of Care (TOC) are associated with communication breakdowns that contribute to medical errors, medication mistakes, and hospital re-admissions. The purpose of this one-day workshop was to teach interprofessional (IP) skills to healthcare students, focusing on verbal and written communication during a TOC of a standardized patient (SP). METHODS Forty-seven students, representing six healthcare disciplines, worked in IP teams to plan a family meeting for a hospitalized SP who had recently experienced a stroke. Students were to communicate pertinent medical, social, and physical issues to the SP, as well as make discharge recommendations. Discharge summaries were entered into an electronic medical record and transmitted to IP teams simulating either a rehabilitation setting or ambulatory care. IP teams utilized these summaries in their family meeting with the SP. After each scenario, students debriefed, focusing on IP competencies. RESULTS Significant improvements were found in nine of fourteen areas measured by the Attitudes Towards Healthcare Teams Scale. Significant improvements were found for confidence in writing an accurate and concise note as well as gleaning information from a discharge summary. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated the effectiveness of a short workshop on improving IP verbal and written communication and confidence in TOC scenarios in acute care, rehabilitation, and ambulatory care