(PO-050) Students’ Perceptions of Telehealth and Interprofessional Collaboration
Sunday, March 20, 2022
1:00pm – 3:00pm EST
Location: Hall C
Author: Sameer Panesar, B.A. – Student, Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine Author: Jonathan Korabelnikov, B.A. – Student, Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine Author: Arielle Pistiner, B.S. – Student, Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine Author: Setareh Zareh, B.S. – Student, Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine Author: Erin Hulfish, M.D. – Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Renaissance School of Medicine Author: Dawn Ippolito, M.S., OTR/L – Clinical Assistant Professor, Stony Brook School of Health Technology and Management Author: Wei-Hsin Lu, Ph.D – Senior Education Specialist, Renaissance School of Medicine Author: Hannah Mercier, Ph.D., OTR/L – Assistant Professor, Stony Brook School of Health Technology and Management Author: Melissa Earle, Ph.D., LCSW – Clinical Assistant Professor, Stony Brook School of Social Welfare Author: Mary Truhlar, D.D.S. M.S. – Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine Submitter: Sameer Panesar, B.A. – Student, Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine
Objectives: Stony Brook University’s Telehealth Interprofessional (IP) Education Selective was developed to provide an early education experience for dental, medical, and social welfare students to learn about professional roles, communication techniques, and team collaboration in the management of a simulation patient case on a telehealth platform.
Methods: Our research evaluated the impact of the course on each student’s attitudes/understanding of IP telehealth practice and each other’s professional role prior to and upon completion of the elective. The course goals aligned with the IPEC competencies and AAMC telehealth competencies. The study used a post-program Qualtrics survey.
Results: Of the 29 participants (10 Y2 dental, 8 Y2 social work, and 11 Y1 medical students) all recorded an increased understanding each other’s professional roles and of IP team and telehealth practice. The dental (80%) and social welfare (75%) students strongly agreed they gained in awareness of the roles of the other professions on an IP team, while 54% of medical students strongly agreed. Findings showed that understanding of the role of social workers increased the most among the three professions. Of all students, dental reported the greatest gain in their perception of the importance of engaging in IP practice (90% strongly agreed). The highest finding reported (86% of all students) was an increased appreciation of the role of family members in IP teams. In addition, dental students reported that they were open to incorporating telehealth in their future practices and that involving other professions in patient visits is vital for patient-centered care.
Conclusion: The study demonstrated that future dental professionals benefit from the early introduction of IP team practice with telehealth simulation patient experience. In addition to education, the students gained an understanding of each profession’s role in comprehensive patient care and the value of their contributions on interprofessional teams.
