UNE Center for Excellence in Public Health (CEPH) evaluates expansion of clinical interprofessional (IP) learning opportunities and UNE’s Clinical Interprofessional Curriculum (CIPC) learning activities. The initial focus of evaluation is on sharing lessons learned, informing the continued development of the CIPC, and spreading it to other clinical practices.

Evaluators strive to achieve and maintain the Program Evaluation Standards of utility, feasibility, propriety, accuracy, and evaluation accountability. Two fundamental frameworks support evaluation efforts: The utilization-focused evaluation framework and developmental evaluation. These frameworks work well given that CIPC is innovative, complex, and being piloted in various clinical practices. These evaluation frameworks are also well suited for the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, both process and outcome, and mixed methods.

Another focus of CEPH is evaluating the impact of IPE in clinical settings as part of UNE’s participation in the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education’s Nexus Innovations Network. CEPH’s research and evaluation goal is to contribute to the evidence base on the impact of Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Care (IPECP) on quality of care and health outcomes and to the Institute of Medicine’s IPECP research agenda.

Assessment Tools

CEPH recommends the tools listed below and the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education Validated Measurement Tools

Learning Activities

  • PIPES: Points for Interprofessional Education System
    • Who 
      • University faculty and curriculum designers
    • What 
      • A one-page, 8-question tool that quickly and easily assesses the processes and content of Interprofessional Education (IPE) learning activities to ensure a threshold of criteria/standards are meant for each activity and the IPE curriculum overall.
    • Where 
      • University on-campus
      • May also be used in clinical settings
    • When 
      • Prior to incorporating an activity, core or elective into the curriculum
      • During curriculum assessment and revision

Preceptor/Facilitator Outcomes

  • IPFS: Interprofessional Facilitation Scale
    • Who 
      • University faculty
      • Healthcare preceptors and clinicians
    • What 
      • A 15-item tool with a 4-point scale that is used to assess interprofessional education facilitation. IPFS aids educators to shift from the more didactic teacher role to the more interactive facilitator-of-learning role which requires effort and skill acquisition. The tool has two subscales: IP facilitation and collaborative patient centered practice.
    • Where 
      • University on- and off-campus
      • Clinical settings
    • When 
      • After an interprofessional education session/learning activity
      • After a collaborative patient centered care session/learning activity

Education and Collaborative Care Outcomes

  • ACE-15: Assessment for Collaborative Environments 
    • Who 
      • Suitable for a range of health professionals. It was used with stable members of the healthcare team who provide care and support in a particular context or for a particular panel of patients. ACE-15 may also be useful with students and learners, and with healthcare teams that have changing members.
    • What 
      • A 15-item tool with a 4-point scale that allows for rapid assessment of a clinical practice’s teamwork qualities. It was used to identify clinical training sites with a high level of “teamness” to ensure optimal interprofessional learning environments for student training. ACE-15 may also be useful as a professional development and systems improvement tool.
    • Where 
      • Suitable for a range of clinical settings
    • When 
      • Prior to selecting clinical sites for interprofessional education and collaborative practice learning opportunities
      • Pre- and/or post-learning/practice session
  • CECE: Center for Excellence in Collaborative Education Competency Survey 
    • Who 
      • Health professions students
    • What 
      • A 42-item self-assessment questionnaire with items based on the competencies defined by the Center for Excellence in Collaborative Education expert panel. It is designed for health professional students to rate their ability level on each competency using a 5-point Likert scale.
    • Where 
      • University on- and off-campus
      • Clinical settings
    • When 
      • After an interprofessional education session/learning activity
      • After a collaborative patient-centered care session/learning activity
  • ICCAS: Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies Attainment Survey
    • Who 
      • Health professions students and practicing clinicians
    • What 
      • A 20-item self-assessment questionnaire designed to assess the change in interprofessional collaboration-related competencies before and after IPE training interventions.
    • Where 
      • University on- and off-campus
      • Clinical settings
    • When 
      • After an interprofessional education session/learning activity
      • After a collaborative patient centered care session/learning activity

Contact

Ruth Dufresne
rdufresne@une.edu
(207) 221-4571