gms | German Medical Science

Objectives: The interprofessional training ward (IPTW) as a training approach was established at Linköping University in Sweden in the 1990s with the aim to create more flexible and collaborative healthcare professionals (HCPs) who are better equipped to approach complex clinical situations [1]. In Germany, HCPs’ curricula are still mainly focused on profession-specific competencies. However, IPTWs have recently gained attention resulting in eight active IPTWs in Germany as of 2020 [2]. The IPTW is a promising approach to foster students’ communication skills as well as their recognition of patients’ needs. It contributes to the understanding and strengthening of individual professional roles and helps participants gain appropriate self-confidence for interprofessional work early in their careers.

Methods: On an IPTW, participants from more than one healthcare profession (i.e., medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, pharmacy) take on responsibility for the patients and provide collaborative patient care in a real-life setting [1], [2]. The newly established IPTW in Munich (MIPA) includes medical students, nursing trainees, and, as a first for Europe, pre-registration pharmacists. Participants are assigned the responsibility for six patients (two rooms with three patients each) during the daytime on week-days for a period of four to five weeks. Supervision is provided by tutors from the respective professions who received a special supervision training, including topics such as learning objectives and responsibilities towards the promotion of interprofessional education. They provide support as needed and take immediate action if critical measures are necessary. With time progressing and as participants gain more and more competencies, the tutors gradually withdraw. MIPA patients receive information in the form of a fact sheet explaining the concept of an IPTW and informing them of their placement on one.

Results & conclusions: The first MIPA took place on the neurology ward at the University Hospital of LMU Munich in November and December 2020. Among the interprofessional tasks, participants were encouraged to take part in daily interprofessional ward-rounds and interprofessional patient record reviews in order to gain insight into the assignments and responsibilities of all professions involved. While the MIPA is set to continue for two more years, an additional IPTW in acute geriatrics is already being planned at LMU. Initial findings from the MIPA evaluation indicate an increased awareness among participants that their knowledge is complementary and that they can rely on other professions. Accompanying research will further clarify how IPTWs affect the skills and competencies of participating students.