Sharing Knowledge in a Two-Hour IPE Event

Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences
The Departments of Audiology and Occupational Therapy

Sharing Knowledge in a Two-Hour IPE Event

On Monday, April 4, 2022, the first-year occupational therapy students and third-year audiology students, participated in a 2-hour IPE event focused on the hearing loss issues of the elderly under the direction of Nannette Nicholson, Ph.D., CCC-A, professor in the Department of Audiology, and Elise Bloch, Ed.D., OT/L, associate professor, and Danielle Barber, M.S., OTR/L, assistant professor, in the Department of Occupational Therapy.

Prior to the session, students prepared by providing voice over presentations on their respective profession’s education requirements, roles, and practice domains for the pod, to review prior to the IPE session. The students were divided into 9 pods to review and discuss a case study and develop recommendations for the client and family.

The audiology students had the opportunity to share their knowledge of hearing loss in the elderly, hearing aid mechanics and use, and the occupational therapy students shared their knowledge of typical aging changes related to musculoskeletal, sensory and cognition and possible adaptions to the environment. Together, they developed plans for the family incorporating knowledge and suggestions from team members.

Each student was assessed with the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale along with reflection papers on the IPE experience. In these reflections, students consistently mentioned deeper awareness of the scope of practice of both professions and the benefits of interprofessional communication and teamwork to enhance care experiences. One student said, “Meeting and collaborating together today was not only fun but informative and eye opening!”