Abstract
Introduction: In the health professional education literature, there is a need for information about the teaching and learning of medical laboratory sciences for clinical practice. The goal of this reflection-on-practice is to describe how an orofacial pathology interprofessional education (IPE) initiative was designed and implemented.
Innovation: The designers of this initiative were teachers from dentistry, oral health, and medical laboratory science. The designers used six interprofessional competencies (patient-centred care, role clarification, team functioning, collaborative leadership, communication, and cultural practice) to guide their construction of teaching and learning resources. The initiative required students to work collaboratively with a given patient case to develop a differential diagnosis, prepare a treatment plan, present their case to classmates and staff members, and describe how they worked together to address the orofacial pathology in their case.
Evaluation: The designers collected and considered evaluation information including the learning resources used, logistical arrangements for the initiative, and evaluation data from students via an anonymous 10-item questionnaire. Students rated statements that addressed the six interprofessional competencies and provided written comments about the initiative.
Outcomes: In general, the 18 students agreed strongly with all statements except for cultural practice. Written comments about the initiative were positive and indicated that students appreciated learning about their own discipline and that of other professionals in the context of providing oral healthcare involving orofacial pathology.
What next? Given the acceptability of this initiative to the designers, facilitators, and students, the next step is to consider the feasibility of scaling-up this small voluntary IPE initiative into a permanent component of the dentistry, oral health, and medical laboratory science programmes. Aspects to consider include staffing, scheduling, assessment, and cultural perspectives.