Rural Health Professions (RHP): Development and initial assessment of an interprofessional education program

Abstract

Purpose: Describe the development and integration of an interprofessional Rural Health Professions (RHP) Program. Discuss the initiation and innovative features of this unique program: history, curriculum, assessment and preliminary results. Background: Nearly all disciplines have emphasized interprofessional education as a critical education component. For the past 20 years, theUniversity ofIllinois College Of Medicine atRockford has successfully recruited, produced and retained rural physicians forIllinois through the Rural Medical Education (RMED) Program. Historically, this campus has housed a medical school; five years ago the Illinois Board of Higher Education approved the interdisciplinary-focusedNationalCenter for Rural Health Professions (NCRHP). The site is now designated a “health sciences education” campus of theUniversity ofIllinois. Description of Intervention or Program: The RHP Program was developed over five years. The Rural Pharmacy Education (RPHARM) Program was created to move the NCRHP mission forward. The single discipline RMED Program was expanded and became the interdisciplinary RHP Program (RMED and RPHARM students). Planning is underway to include disciplines such as nursing, social work, public health and dentistry. All students enrolled in the program completed an orientation survey to obtain perspectives and background demographics. Results: A formal recruitment and admissions process and a curriculum based on the longstanding RMED curriculum were developed; an assessment strategy was also created. Twenty-two students and 26 students were accepted into the RHP Program for the classes 2014 and 2015. Approximately 90% of RHP students were from rural areas. Conclusions: Student responses to baseline surveys indicate a positive orientation toward rural community health and participation in a curriculum teaching these principles. The RHP Program is a promising interprofessional approach to preparing healthcare providers who will locate or stay in rural areas. Relevance to interprofessional education or practice: Beneficial for interprofessional rural education: recruitment, retention and practice of professionals. Learning Objectives: To compare and contrast various programs and activities within an interprofessional rural healthcare program To describe how to recruit students into an interprofessional rural healthcare program To recall current students’ perspectives on rural healthcare and the RHP program