Through establishing the Wellness Pavilion (WP), the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) has made a long-term commitment to partner with two historically underserved communities at Community Engagement Centers. The WP aims to make health and wellness services more accessible in Homewood and the surrounding communities through providing interactive educational sessions, services and special events and programming. All services are student-led, faculty-supervised and are offered free of charge. The Diabetes Intervention and Self Care Opportunity (DISCO) is an interprofessional collaboration among students and faculty from SHRS’s programs in Physical Therapy, Nutrition and Dietetics, and Counseling, and the School of Pharmacy.
The DISCO program was designed to assist community members in the management of type 2 diabetes including medication management, healthy eating, exercise, stress management and foot care. Sessions were tailored to individual participants’ needs based on intake questionnaires including demographics, lifestyle history, and medication use. Guided by the IPEC Core Competencies, students across academic programs worked collaboratively to develop and implement weekly programming. At least one faculty member was present for each session, at times supervising students from multiple professions.
The DISCO program was conducted in the fall of 2021 and spring of 2022. Participants met with the interprofessional student team and faculty supervisor(s) once per week over 4-6 weeks. Five people participated in the program, and three completed the entire program. Pre/post surveys of diabetes knowledge and confidence in managing diabetes showed improvement in several key areas. High levels of participant engagement and overall satisfaction were noted. Challenges to the program included low registration rates and inconsistent attendance. Future directions include more robust recruitment efforts and continued collaboration with the community to address challenges to participation.
In support of improving patient care, this activity is planned and implemented by The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education Office of Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development (OICPD). The OICPD is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
The National Center OICPD is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to provide continuing education to Athletic Trainers (ATs). This program is eligible for Category A hours/CEUs. ATs should claim only those hours actually spent in the educational program.
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.
Physicians: The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education designates this live activity for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with their participation.
Physician Assistants: The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME.
Nurses: Participants will be awarded contact hours of credit for attendance at this workshop.
Nurse Practitioners: The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME and ANCC.
Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians: This activity is approved for contact hours.
Athletic Trainers: This program is eligible for Category A hours/CEUs. ATs should claim only those hours actually spent in the educational program.
Social Workers: As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the National Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The National Center maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive continuing education credits.
IPCE: This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.
