Achieving Interprofessional Education on Collaborative Problem-Solving for COVID-19 Using Project-Based Approach

PURPOSE: The interdisciplinary skills and competences are necessary for in-service current workforces who work in a collaborative health team environment for emerging disease prevention and control. To efficiently combat COVID-19, the pre-service students of health sciences need to be prepared through the interprofessional education (IPE). The present study aims to develop the IPE curriculum using project-based approach to address challenges of COVID-19 for training of undergraduate health science students, Chiang Mai University, Thailand METHODS & MATERIALS: Teacher working group conducted a workshop to initiate a curriculum and the activities on interprofessional managements for human and animal health by combining interdisciplinary skills required for current Thai workforces. The knowledge and the attitude base of COVID-19 was evaluated before and after training. Self-assessment according to interdisciplinary skills was also performed. Use of ongoing IPE learning activities to manage the six projects for 94 participants including 22 nursing, 21 dentistry, 21 medical technology, 19 pharmacy and 12 veterinary students. RESULTS: An understanding of COVID-19 knowledge on the median score before and after learning were 60.00% (IQR 53.33-73.33) and 80.00% (IQR 70.00-86.67), respectively (p < 0.01). Self-assessment according to attitudes demonstrated that the health science students had moderately good level. The IPE competencies on median the students responded from the pre-lesson 4 (IQR 3.00-4.25) to the post-lesson 4 (IQR 3.00-4.00) (p = 0.37). However, an improvement of average relative gain score of the IPE competencies was 12.34%. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that outcome of IPE learning activities could positively impact in improving the knowledge and the attitude on COVID-19, and interdisciplinary capacities of undergraduate health science students. However, sustainable adaptation of the IPE learning activities as an elective course should be accomplished within near future.