Facilitating Interprofessional and Culturally-Competent Patient Care (poster 3)

Abstract

The Centennial Vision of the AOTA calls for occupational therapy a globally connected and diverse workforce to meet occupational need. Other health care professions such as physical therapy and nursing have also stressed the importance of providing culturally competent patient care. Implementation of such vision is accomplished partially through students' participation in didactic coursework, discussions and clinical simulations. Immersion in international experiences has been also shown promising impact on student professional development. The China Honors Interprofessional Program (CHIP) at a university in the Midwest is designed to increase students' cultural competency and professional development. From 2009 to 2013, a total of 25 professional students including twelve occupational therapy students, ten physical therapy students, and three nursing students were enrolled in the program. This evaluative study reported the outcomes of CHIP through mixed research methods. Results of the study revealed that CHIP has positive impact on participants' cultural competency and professional development including clinical reasoning, team work, and increased understanding of contribution of other health care providers.