Using Virtual Simulation and Reflective Discussion for Communication Skills Training in Interdisciplinary Healthcare Teams

Introduction: TeamFIRST is an institutional program founded to address educational gaps in communication and teamwork for interprofessional learners at UT Southwestern. The longitudinal curriculum consists of five modules that build upon each other to teach teamwork competencies. Module 1, Introduction to Teamwork (ITT), is instituted during an annual interprofessional event that hosts over 1000 diverse pre-clinical learners from UT Southwestern and regional institutions. ITT aims to educate learners on other professions engaged in healthcare and the criticality of interprofessional collaboration and teamwork to provide a holistic approach to patient care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was transitioned to a virtual educational platform. We propose that our interprofessional learners will have improved knowledge and attitudes and an enhanced appreciation for interprofessional collaboration and professional identity following our virtual curriculum.
Methods: Our virtual curriculum involves a patient with type 2 diabetes to help establish buy-in. The scenario showcases the importance of interprofessional teamwork in caring for a diabetic patient over several months to portray the different physical and psychological stages of the disease process in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The scenario runs for 90 minutes and consists of short video clips highlighting different stages and team members in the disease process with interspersed discussion questions facilitated by interprofessional educators. Learners completed a pre-test and post-test survey to assess knowledge, attitudes, and feedback.
Results: A total of 998 out of 1016 interprofessional learners participated in the ITT activity from 9 different professions. More than 120 interprofessional faculty instructors facilitated the discussion-based questions for the module. Participants were divided into groups of 8 - 9 learners with one instructor. From the post-survey, the clinical scenario was engaging and had utility. Average knowledge score had significant change (p <.05) from pre- to post-survey. Twenty-two of 26 knowledge questions on team-based communication showed significant improvement (p <.05) from pre- to post-survey. Additionally, all 13 attitude questions on recognizing roles and responsibilities engaged in healthcare and the importance of interprofessional collaboration and teamwork showed significant change (p <.05) from pre- to post-survey (n=931 matched pairs).
Conclusions: Our virtual education curriculum is an effective means to improve knowledge and attitudes of interprofessional learners regarding communication and teamwork among future healthcare providers. Additionally, the curriculum aids learners in appreciating the roles of other professions involved. Finally, our virtual curriculum is scalable to include more learners with more instructors and can be adapted for virtual or in-person education.