Abstract
IPHARM (ImProving Health Among Rural Montanans) is a university-based community health screening program that provides valuable interprofessional teamwork and clinical skills training for health care students while addressing the health of older adults. Students perform a variety of health care screenings dependent on the health care professions present and the requests of the community group served. Education, counseling, and recommendations for participants are provided by the interprofessional student teams under supervision and guidance from faculty and clinicians. Supported in part by federal grants such as the Health Service and Resource Administration Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (HRSA GWEP), IPHARM has provided interprofessional training for over 2100 students and conducted over 30,000 health screenings at 814 different community events. Surveys from students indicate that the experience promotes effective interprofessional team skills related to communication, an increased understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the health care team, and how to positively impact the health of older adults. These interprofessional screening events for older adults, conducted in the community by health professions students and faculty, help prepare the future workforce for collaborative and effective health care delivery. The purpose of this article is to describe the IPHARM objectives, methods, and impact this program has had on the health of older adults and the training of our future health care workforce.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 6513 |
| Journal | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 1 2022 |
Funding
Funding: This program is primarily funded by the Montana Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program, supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the US Dept of Health and Human Services. Current HRSA grant number U1QHP28733. Additional grant support provided through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant DP18-1817. Over the past 20 years, the IPHARM adult health screening program at the University of Montana has made an impact on the state of Montana by providing health screenings and promoting improved health behaviors, as well as through the training of our future health care workforce with intentional interprofessional team skills training and clinical skills development. This article provided an opportunity for us to describe the methods and outcomes of our adult health screening program at the University of Montana, as well as provide information about the impact that these community screens have had on the health of older adults and the training of our future health care workforce. What started as a one-year funded grant opportunity operating out of an upgraded 1991 motorhome transitioned into IPHARM with funding through the Montana Geriatric Education Center. Funding since then has been provided by HRSA through the MGWEP primarily. The activities, goals, and processes for IPHARM have continually adapted to meet the needs of students, faculty, funding agencies, and communities. With support in the literature for IPE outside of the classroom environment that is immersive and impactful, IPHARM is well-equipped to provide support and services for older adults and better prepare our future health care workforce.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| U1QHP28733 | |
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | DP18-1817 |
Keywords
- geriatrics
- health screen
- interprofessional
- older adult
- teamwork
