Education through a virtual platform has expanded tremendously during the pandemic. While most of these education activities have centered on didactic learning, the need for an active approach to patient care is essential. We explored using a virtual platform to provide a simulated patient care experience with standardized patients for a total of 146 medical and pharmacy students . Students were assigned to interprofessional teams of four to five students, with at least two students representing each profession on each team. Teams interacted with a standardized patient with aspiration pneumonia to develop a management plan and build rapport with a patient with qualms about the healthcare system. After the simulation concluded, faculty facilitators from each program facilitated a debrief on interprofessional components with teams. This clinical case acted as a springboard to highlighting Interprofessional Education Collaborative competencies of roles/responsibilities, interprofessional communication, and values/ethics.
This Lightning Talk describes the nuts and bolts, as well as the lessons learned in developing a virtual simulation using standardized patients. While this exercise included medical and pharmacy students, it can lend itself to a variety of health profession programs. The presentation particularly benefits health profession programs interested in exposing their students to telehealth in an interprofessional environment. This also benefits health profession programs in situations where a remote simulation is optimal, such as with distance learning programs or with standalone health profession programs who need to collaborate with other health programs (i.e., single health profession program without another health profession in close physical proximity).
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.
