Improving Interprofessional Knowledge And Cooperation Through an Interprofessional Activity Between Physician Assistant and Dental Hygiene Students

Abstract

Purpose Oral health education in primary care training is becoming increasingly important, as health professionals become aware of the connection between oral health and systemic health. Dental hygienists are uniquely positioned to support oral health education due to their clinical expertise and patient-centered focus on oral health promotion, disease prevention, and education. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of an interprofessional education (IPE) activity with dental hygiene (DH) and physician assistant (PA) students focusing on oral health education.

Methods This half-day IPE activity was first implemented with DH and PA students in 2019, incorporating lecture and case-based learning, and repeated with four subsequent cohorts. Students’ self-reported knowledge and confidence were assessed via pre and post-activity Likert-type scale survey questions with all five cohorts of students following the completion of the activity. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was calculated to compare DH and PA students’ pre- and post-question scores.

Results There were statistically significant increases in pre- and post-activity self-reported knowledge for both the DH and PA groups with a mean gain of 0.55 for DH students and 1.09 for PA students. The largest gain was in knowledge of the other’s education and training.

Conclusion This IPE activity demonstrated that DH and PA students working together in a case-based learning activity improves confidence in communicating with each other, assessing the medical and dental history, examining the oral cavity for signs of disease, and recognizing normal and abnormal oral pathology.