basic science meets clinical PROBLEMS – INTEGRATED INTERPROFESSIONAL LEARNING REALLY WORKS.

Birgitta Björck, Coordinator*, Agneta Månsson-Broberg MD, and Hans Gyllenhammar, MD, Ph.D.*. Karolinska Institutet, Institution for Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge. S-14186 Stockholm, SWEDEN.

PURPOSE: We studied interprofessional education (IPL) with medical- and nursing students using supercases. We asked if basic science aspects could be equally stressed in this interprofessional environment as they traditionally are when only medical students are present.

METHODS: Groups composed of 1-3 nursing students and 2-3 medical students were introduced to their supercases (current patients). They were asked to interview the patient and focus on the problems that were most important at that moment for the patient. These were seldom the main disease of the patient but rather problems like pain, gastrointestinal problems or nutritional problems. The students were instructed to find solutions together to the problems and evidence for their solutions in the literature. All conclusions should be evidence-based. In a concluding seminar they together presented their results. Both nursing and the medical teachers were present. The supercase-cycle was 1 or 2 weeks and the study period were 3 years.

RESULTS: The students worked well together with minimum need for teacher interaction. The teachers found that both groups of students equally well covered basic science. Nursing students often read chapters in medical student textbooks prior to reading original publications. Medical students received their first introduction to nursing as a scientific subject. Both groups of students evaluated the module positively with nursing students slightly more positive tan medical students.

CONCLUSION: The students often asked – why do we not do this more often? IPL is essential for clinical education but works equally well for selected basic science subjects.