Development and Integration of an Interprofessional Education (IPE) Clinic visit flowsheet for health professions students

Students graduating from many health professions disciplines are now required to demonstrate ability to work in a collaborative care team environment. Mastering skills needed to participate effectively among an interprofessional team is not an easy task. Students are often unsure of their role within the team, as discipline domains often overlap and students do not fully understand the scopes and strengths of other members of the team. As such, IPE clinic visits can be disjointed and confusing for patients, as learners navigate the complexity of team-based care. In order to streamline and improve efficiency of IPE clinic visits for health professions students, an IPE clinic flowsheet tool was developed. The tool allows for discipline-specific reflection, a team-based discussion, assignment of roles for the patient encounter, and assistance with writing post-visit documentation. This flowsheet tool has been effective in organizing IPE clinic visits for health professions students, as well as improving student self-perceived collaborative care skill set.