Impact of Interprofessional Falls Risk Assessment Program on Student Perceptions of Other Healthcare Professionals

Abstract Fall prevention programs with exercise interventions and medication reviews improve short-term function for community-dwelling older adults with risk of falls. 1 We describe an Interprofessional Falls Risk Assessment Program for community-dwelling adults to teach students how to assess falls risk associated with poor balance and medications that increase falls risk. The primary objective of this program was to evaluate whether participation in this Interprofessional Falls Risk Assessment Program altered the attitudes toward collaborative team-based healthcare practice in physical therapist and pharmacist students. Second-year physical therapist students and third-year pharmacist students were involved with the program. The Interprofessional Falls Risk Assessment Program consisted of three sessions. Sessions 1 and 2 were held in an academic setting, and Session 3 was held at a local senior living facility. Fall risk assessments were initially practiced by students amongst themselves, then formally provided to elderly volunteers from the community, and finally were provided to residents at a senior living facility. Students' attitudes toward collaborative practice were assessed before and following the program using the Student Perception of Interprofessional Clinical Education (SPICE-R). We found that SPICE-R scores increased following participation in this program. The Interprofessional Falls Risk Assessment Program represents a new IPE resource to increase students' interprofessional attitudes, knowledge, and experience before they enter the healthcare workforce. Our results indicate that IPE using an Interprofessional Falls Risk Assessment Program has a positive influence on students' understanding of both their own and other healthcare professionals role within an interprofessional team.