Undergraduate Interprofessional Education Requirement Policy

Interdisciplinary Education is at the core of the College of Health Sciences and Professions as reflected in the CHSP Vision and Defining Characteristics. 

CHSP Vision

• Our experiential and interdisciplinary philosophy means CHSP students learn to treat and optimize health through many lenses, readying them for a career path as tomorrow’s best nurses, social workers, dietitians, athletic trainers, physical therapists, hospital administrators and more.
• As a leader in population health, we embrace community partnerships to build collaborative, scalable solutions capable of meeting the era’s biggest crises and challenges.

What Defines Us

• An interdisciplinary, collaborative approach to research and academics
• A focus on rural health care
• Providing outreach to underserved populations
• An emphasis on reflecting and promoting diversity in health settings
• Engagement in global health education and issues

Interprofessional Education Definition and Core Competencies

Interprofessional Education Definition: Occurs when students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes. (World Health Organization, 2010)

The IPEC Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (version 3) define four competency areas under “Interprofessional Collaboration”. These competencies aim to prepare learners to engage in lifelong learning and collaboration to improve both person/client care and population health outcomes. 

• Values and Ethics: Work with team members to maintain a climate of shared values, ethical conduct and mutual respect.
• Roles and Responsibilities: Use the knowledge of one’s own role and the team members’ expertise to address individual and population health outcomes.
• Communication: Communicate in a responsible, responsible, respectful, and compassionate manner with team members. 
• Teams and Teamwork: Apply values and principles of the science of teamwork to adapt one’s own role in a variety of team settings. 

Source: 2023 Interprofessional Education Collaborative Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice: Version 3

CHSP Interprofessional Education Requirement

To reinforce the importance of interprofessional education and to equip graduates with skills to promote interdisciplinary education and promote lifelong learning; CHSP has an undergraduate interprofessional education requirement.

• All undergraduate majors in the College of Health Sciences and Professions must include an approved undergraduate interprofessional education (IPE) course (minimum 2 credit hours) prior to graduation.
• This IPE requirement applies to all Athens campus, regional campus, and e-campus undergraduate students who are enrolled in a CHSP major.

 Requirements for IPE Courses

Overview: The course must contain interprofessional content and learning activities relates to the four competency areas of interprofessional collaboration: values and ethics, roles and responsibilities, communication and teams and teamwork. 

Course Outcomes: At least 50% of the course outcomes must be directly related to IPE. See Appendix A for sample measurable IPE Course Outcomes. 

Course Description:

1. The course description must contain language that clearly describes the interprofessional content and learning activities.
2. The course description must include the following statement: “Course satisfies the College of Health Sciences and Professions interprofessional education requirement.”

Enrollment: IPE-designated courses should enroll students from at least two different healthcare professions to facilitate interprofessional interactions. If this is not feasible, evidence must be presented in the OCEAN submission to demonstrate how the course meets the IPE requirement through alternative means.

Instructor Qualifications: The instructor must have experience in healthcare and be able to utilize this experience to expand students’ knowledge and application of interprofessional education. 

IPE Course Approval Process

All new courses and course changes must go through the complete University Curriculum Approval process. For courses requesting the CHSP-IPE designation, the process includes:

1. CHSP Interprofessional Education Curriculum Committee
2. Ohio University Individual Course Committee
3. Ohio University Curriculum Committee

OCEAN Submission:

The OCEAN course change or new course application must address all elements listed above in the Requirements for IPE courses. In the OCEAN 3.0 Rationale for Change section:

1. Clearly indicate the request for IPE-designated course review.
2. Outline interprofessional content and learning activities related to the four competency areas of interprofessional collaboration: values and ethics, roles and responsibilities, communication and teams and teamwork. 
3. Include a description of the following:
   1. Anticipated enrollment (majors, disciplines)
   2. Qualifications required for course instructor

Appendix A:  Examples of Measurable Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

• Explain the importance of interprofessional collaboration in healthcare in relation to health outcomes.
• Describe the four IPE core competencies.
• Explain the roles and responsibilities of other care providers (outside their own major) and how a team works together to provide care.
• Relate their own role as a healthcare professional to interprofessional practice.
• Demonstrate effective communication on an interprofessional healthcare team.
• Recognize the limits of their own role and expertise in patient care.
• Explain their own role and responsibility as a member of the healthcare team.
• Describe how basic communication skills are the foundation of interprofessional practice.
• Engage in shared patient-centered problem-solving.
• Present health information in a way that other professionals (in other professions) and patients/families can understand.
• Describe what it means to be a member of an effective healthcare team.
• Explain how different cultures, values, and beliefs of patients and members of the healthcare team may influence patient care and outcomes.
• Develop consensus on patient-centered care goals during an interprofessional role playing exercise.
• Given a case study, identify challenges to teamwork and suggest opportunities for improving interactions of the healthcare team.

Appendix B

CHSP IPE Course Designation

OCEAN Submission Application Worksheet

For general information on New Course Proposals or Course Change submissions, please reference the University Curriculum Council Guidelines for Submission of New Course Proposals and Course Changes. The checklist below highlights things to include when submitting a course for CHSP Interprofessional Education Designation. 

Throughout the OCEAN Course New Course/Course Change document interprofessional content as it relates to the four competency areas of interprofessional collaboration: values and ethics, roles and responsibilities, communication and teams and teamwork should be highlighted. Below is a checklist where specific items should be located:

Worksheet

Course Description:

• The course description contains language that clearly describes the interprofessional content.
• The course description must include the following statement: “Course satisfies the College of Health Sciences and Professions interprofessional education requirement.”

Outcomes:

• At least 50% of the course outcomes are directly related to IPE. 

Reason for Course Creation and Other Notes (Previously Additional Resources):

• Clearly state: “This course is being created (or modified) to meet the CHSP IPE requirement and needs review for approval to be a CHSP IPE designated course.”
• Enrollment: IPE-designated courses should enroll students from at least two different healthcare professions, outline what professions will be included in this course.  If this is not feasible, demonstrate how the course meets the IPE requirement through alternative means.
• Instructor Qualifications: Address process to ensure the instructor has experience in healthcare and can utilize this experience to expand students’ knowledge and application of interprofessional education. 

Course Topics: Identify interprofessional content in the topics list and highlight how it relates to the four competency areas of interprofessional collaboration: values and ethics, roles and responsibilities, communication and teams and teamwork.