Family Conference Simulation Designed for Physician Assistant Students and Chaplain Residents.

Abstract

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Physician Assistants (PAs) are increasingly likely to work in clinical areas where family conference skills are needed, but there is currently a lack of family conference education in PA program curricula. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> To (1) describe a novel interprofessional education (IPE) event for PA students and chaplain residents; (2) examine whether participating in the IPE event is associated with improvements in attitudes and knowledge regarding interprofessional teams; and (3) describe participant perceptions about the event. <b><i>Design:</i></b> Two cohorts of PA students and chaplain residents completed a required interprofessional simulation activity involving a critically ill patient and a family conference. All participants completed pre- and postsimulation activity questionnaires. Bivariate tests were utilized to analyze the quantitative data. <b><i>Setting/Subjects:</i></b> Over two years, 171 PA students and 20 chaplain residents completed the activity at a school of medicine in the United States. <b><i>Measurements:</i></b> Pre- and postactivity measurements included role-specific questions plus overlapping sections regarding roles and responsibilities of the other discipline, comfort facilitating end-of-life discussions, and the value of IPE. <b><i>Results:</i></b> For PA students, there was a statistically significant increase for all questionnaire items. The largest effect size increases were in PA students' confidence in provider-patient communication at the end of life (Cohen's <i>d</i> > 1.1). Chaplain data demonstrated increases in knowledge of the PA role and likelihood of consulting with PAs in the future. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> This simulation event improved participant attitudes and knowledge relating to interprofessional interactions in the setting of an end-of-life family conference, and may contribute to more effective collaboration between PAs and chaplains in the clinical setting.