(79) IPE Escape Room: Breaking Out to Learn About Each Other

Objective : 1.) Outline the development of a virtual escape room to promote the IPE core competency of roles and responsibilities.

2.) Discuss student perceptions of the activity.

Methods: Pharmacy students collaborated with 15 health professional (HP) programs to participate in four sessions focused on core competencies of IPE within an IPPE course. For the first session, a multidisciplinary team of faculty and staff developed a virtual escape room with nine puzzles using Google forms. Each puzzle highlighted key professional roles and responsibilities within two or more HP programs. Multidisciplinary teams of approximately 10 students could progress to the next puzzle only when a correct response was provided. Following the activity, students were led through a guided debrief focused on the sub-competencies of roles and responsibilities.

Results: Six hundred learners, comprising 59 teams from 16 disciplines, including 41 student pharmacists, completed the escape room. Five hundred fifty-nine learners (93%) completed the post-activity surveys. Evaluations were positive, and participants perceived the program was most effective in cultivating teamwork μ=4.53, communication μ=4.37, and roles/responsibilities μ=3.95 on a 5-point scale (1=lowest; 5=highest). Pharmacy student reflections also revealed a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of other HP programs and plans to collaborate in future clinical practice.

Conclusions: A virtual escape room was developed to educate students about interprofessional roles and responsibilities and promote collaboration and teamwork. Feedback indicates that this activity was effective, interactive and well-received by students and facilitators.