(PO-110) Engaging Students in Virtual Interprofessional Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author: Denise M. Claiborne, Ph.D., RDH – Assistant Professor and Graduate Program Director, School of Dental Hygiene, Old Dominion University
Author: Praveen Durgampudi, MBBS, MPH, MSPH, EPH – Associate Professor and Program Director, Master of Public Health, Old Dominion University
Author: Anne Dumadag, MPH – Ph.D. Student, Health Services Research, Old Dominion University
Author: Muge Akpinar, MD MPH – Professor and Dean, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Dental Medicine
Submitter: Denise M. Claiborne, Ph.D., RDH – Assistant Professor and Graduate Program Director, School of Dental Hygiene, Old Dominion Universi

Objectives: To assess Dental Hygiene (DH) and Master of Public Health (MPH) students’ exposure and attitudes toward interprofessional education (IPE) in a virtual IPE case-study activity that focused on a COVID-19 pandemic scenario.

Methods: A total of 104 students enrolled in DH and MPH courses were invited to participate in the virtual IPE COVID-19 case-study activity. The case-study required students to determine use of a mobile unit to facilitate COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, vaccination distribution while also addressing preventive health and oral health services to 13 predetermined vulnerable underserved populations. After random assignment to a vulnerable population, student groups used public health principles such as the social determinants of health, prevention, systems thinking & management, and aspirational solutions to answer the case-study. Students collaborated over 13 weeks utilizing Blackboard® and provided deliverables including an executive summary and presentation. To examine students’ previous IPE exposure, attitudes, and beliefs toward interprofessional collaboration, the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scales (ISVS-9A/9B) was utilized. The ISVS-9A/9B contains 9 statements on a 7-point Likert scale. Three statements from the ISVS-9A/9B that did not pertain to the IPE activity were not used; Cronbach Alpha of 0.90 for ISVS-9A/9B modified (M). The IRB approval was obtained from the university.

Results: A total of 82 and 68 student learners completed the ISVS-9A/9B(M); (78.8% and 65.3% response rate, respectively). More DH students (86.4%) reported previous IPE exposure than MPH students (13.6%). Among all student learners, the total average ISVS scores decreased from pre-post (5.98 ± 0.82 vs. 5.83 ± 0.89, respectively). However, student learners with previous IPE exposure, revealed an increase in their total average pre-post scores (5.86 ± 0.98 vs. 6.13 ± 0.62).

Conclusion: While the total ISVS scores slightly decreased among all student learners, when stratified by previous IPE exposure, an increase in ISVS scores was observed.