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Sage Journals: CADER Director Bronwyn Keefe, BUSSW Professor Jordana Muroff, and BU Colleagues Explore the Scope of Interprofessional Education in Home-Based Care
The need for in-home health and social care is increasing as the United States’ aging population continues to grow. Yet in-home care has many complexities, as professionals from a variety of fields, including nurses, social workers, and occupational therapists, must all work and communicate with each other and within family systems. Recent research conducted by Bronwyn Keefe, director of the Center for Aging and Disability Education and Research (CADER) at BU School of Social Work (BUSSW); Jordana Muroff, BUSSW professor; and partners Karen Jacobs and Craig Slater at BU Sargent College examines how interprofessional education (IPE) prepares health professional students with the necessary communication and collaborative skills to better serve individuals in their homes.
Convergent Research from BU Examines Training for In-Home Care
The research team across the two BU schools explored how IPE has been implemented in student training designed to prepare health professionals for home-based care. The scoping review identified 55 articles across four databases, revealing that most of the student training was related to the care of older adults or people living with chronic health conditions. Instructional curricula, most often using actual home visits and instructional sessions, focused on interprofessional teamwork, communications, and health management for older adults.
The Positive Impact of Interprofessional Teams
Many of the research articles revealed that IPE is integral for students to build confidence in home-based practice. While the research base is still growing, early evidence shows that interprofessional student teams lead to better outcomes in health and human service fields.