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Abstract

The concept of interprofessional practice and education is not new but has recently gained attention as the result of a paradigm shift in the future of healthcare and how it is delivered and financed. Universities are now addressing ways to incorporate interprofessional education and learning experiences into the curriculum to ensure graduating healthcare professionals are competent to collaborate as a team and deliver quality effective healthcare.

A regional research university in East Tennessee with health programs across five Health Science colleges (Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health), Psychology, and Social Work has offered an interprofessional rural course for more than six years. The two-semester course is focused on vulnerable or underserved populations and rural communities in the south central Appalachian region. Each course section comprised of 8 to 10 students is led by a team of two or more faculty who represent a cross section of healthcare disciplines and focuses on a specific population or community. The student groups develop interprofessional working relationships among each other and faculty while partnering with rural communities. Using a community-based participatory research approach they prioritize health needs, and develop and implement evidence-based strategies to address the identified needs. Interprofessional education, cross cultural learning, and a university/community partnership within the context of the Hispanic migrant farmworker population are addressed in this paper. The course process, target population, cultural learning, and student outcomes are specifically discussed.

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