Outcomes of an interprofessional SBIRT training program: Knowledge attainment and perceived competence for practice.

One way to address substance misuse is to train health professional students in Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), an early intervention strategy. This study evaluated a semester-long, 50-hour elective SBIRT training that blended online coursework with interprofessional experiences. Medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work students completed an interprofessional standardized patient experience and completed a minimum of two interprofessional SBIRT experiences at community agencies.

The design and evaluation of an interprofessional elective course with a cultural competence component.

Faculty from the Colleges of Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Allied Health Sciences at the University of Cincinnati collaborated to create an elective course that focused on providing students the opportunity for interprofessional education (IPE) and cultural competence training. The course was designed around the educational principles described in the literature as most effective for IPE: interpersonal and small-group skills, face-to-face interaction, positive interdependence, individual accountability and group processing. Impact of the course was assessed using two questionnaires focusing on interdisciplinary interactions and cultural competence, respectively.

Health care experiences and preferences of uninsured workers.

An exploratory study of the experiences, beliefs, and preferences of uninsured workers found that uninsured workers are active in seeking solutions to their health care needs and have decided opinions about health care. They use a cost-benefit analysis in deciding which health problems warrant professional attention. However, uninsured workers also exhibit a contradictory pattern of behaviors and beliefs.