(76) Interprofessional Education through Standardized Patients (SPs) and Team Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (TOSCEs)

Objective : Literature highlights interprofessional team-based care and standardized patients (SPs) significantly improve students’ retention of knowledge and perceptions compared to other forms of simulation. Team Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (TOSCEs) was designed and implemented for interprofessional, structured clinical encounters with facilitator, peer, and SP feedback. Authors hypothesized that TOSCEs using SPs are an effective way to teach interprofessional collaborative care and cultural sensitivity.

Methods: Five standardized, interprofessional patient-centered cases were written, peer-evaluated, and each utilized 32 times to conduct 160 SP TOSCEs over the course of 8 hours (30 minutes/event). Case topics included medical interviewing, medication reconciliation, transitions of care, primary care, and medical emergencies. All cases intentionally integrated factors that contribute to health disparities and social determinants of health. A maximum of 3 students from 4 disciplines (pharmacy, physician assistant, nursing, and dental hygiene) were grouped with one of 11 different SPs per TOSCE.

Learning objectives were grounded in IPEC’s four core competencies. Discipline-specific objectives were also devised and aligned with knowledge, skills, and behaviors. Student self-evaluation on attainment of interprofessional competence and improvement in cultural sensitivity were captured through pre-/post-event surveys: Revised Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies Attainment Survey (ICCAS) and Cultural Awareness Sensitivity Tool (CAST).

Results: A total of 321 students consented, completed the pre-surveys, and participated in 1 to 4 TOSCEs. Of those, 90% also completed the post-surveys (n=289). Attainment of interprofessional collaborative competence (t(288)=16.72, p< 0.001) and improvement in cultural awareness and sensitivity (t(274)=4.39, p< 0.001) resulted.

Conclusions: TOSCEs can be utilized to evaluate team collaboration, cultural awareness/ sensitivity, and standardize experiences. Limitations include high preparation and facilitator demands to run events and cost for hiring SPs. Strengths include intentionality with team-observed performance.