Speech Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy Student Perspectives of an Interprofessional Education Simulation

Introduction: Interprofessional education (IPE) provides the groundwork for interprofessional practice (IPP), with a range of methods for implementation, including a simulation. Methods: Graduate students in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), Occupational Therapy (OT), and Physical Therapy (PT) completed a simulation of an inpatient assessment of an individual with an acquired brain injury. Participants completed the Interprofessional Education Collaborative Competency Self Efficacy Tool (IPECC-SET) before and after an IPE simulation, to assess their self-efficacy for interprofessional collaboration. These data were used for comparisons across groups. Students submitted a written reflection following the event, which was used for a qualitative thematic analysis. Results: Participants showed significant positive change in all four domains of the IPECC-SET from pre-test to post-test, but there were no differences across groups. In the qualitative analysis, outcomes that were commonly discussed included roles and responsibilities, interprofessional communication, and teams and teamwork. Major themes that arose from that analysis included: benefits of co-evaluation, benefits of simulation, recognizing competence, value of feedback, and advocacy. Discussion: The use of a simulation event had a positive impact across the disciplines participating in this study. Clinical implications included students understanding the importance of advocacy, gaining awareness of areas in which they need more practice, articulating their own roles and responsibilities as well as understanding the rehabilitation team, understanding complexities of co-morbidities, and finding creativity in assessment. Future directions for the simulation event and limitations are provided. Conclusion: Simulations may be an effective way for disciplines involved in rehabilitative care to gain exposure to interprofessional education and practice