IPE in a Virtual WorldKaren Huhn PT PhDJoseph Schwenkler MD

Albert Heuer PhD, MBA, RRT, RPFTSusan Papparella-Pitzel PT DPT MS

Narcisso Rodriquez BS RRT-NPS, ACCS

Why Virtual Spaces?

• 3 most significant barriers to IPE

• scheduling

• time in curriculum

• resources in time and money

• Liston, Fischer, Way, Torre, & Papp, 2011)

Description of Study• Aim: to evaluate the effectiveness

of virtual clinical experiences on the development of interdisciplinary care skill for students in health related fields

• Pre/post test cross-over design with mixed methodology

• Compare virtual clinical experiences to standard patient encounters

Description of Study

• Subjects: Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Physician Assistant

• Four teams, 2 cases virtually 2 cases live

Outcome Measures

• Test of knowledge acquisition

• Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams survey

• Focus Groups

Virtual World

• Built by Wonderbuilders

• Designed as a modifiable space

• Uses “inworld” apps to increase functionality

• Configurations of space an be saved and used again

Virtual Space

• rutgersshrp.wonderbuilders.com:8080

Acknowledgment

• Foundation of University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

• MEG