Interactions with Virtual Patients Help Social Work, Nursing, Medical and Pharmacy Students Learn Collaborative Skills

Spring Semester 2016 wasn’t the first time students from four different programs worked together in College of Allied Health Sciences Assistant Professor Shauna Acquavita's course, Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT).

It was, however, the first time these students learned through a hybrid course format.

SBIRT is an interprofessional course offered to students across four different programs: social work, nursing, medicine and pharmacy.

Students began coursework through online course modules, which they had one week to complete before moving on to the next lesson. A grant allowed students to participate in diagnosis simulations through Kognito, a website that allows students to interact with virtual patients and receive a score based on their interaction with the avatar. 

“Technology has really helped students practice clinical skills ahead of time in a safe environment, and they were given feedback right away,” Acquavita said.

After developing their clinical skills online, students were able to practice them with medical actors, and then moved on to work with real patients at UC Medical Center and Freestore Foodbank. The tiered format allowed students to practice interpersonal skills for their desired profession virtually and work up to applying them in a real-life setting. 

“This allows students to take a more fine-tuned, skilled approach when working with patients in the actual community,” said Xan Boone, associate professor educator in the School of Social Work. 

The course format was also designed to enhance students’ mastery of the subject, as it offered various ways for students to develop skills and familiarize themselves with the practice. The interprofessional approach not only allows students from different programs to work together and learn from each other, but it also let them receive support from a wide range of faculty. 

Aside from Acquavita, a larger panel of faculty assisted in grading, support and recruiting students to take the course. Faculty involved in the course include: Jane Prumer from the College of Pharmacy; Bonnie Brehm from the College of Nursing; Tiffiny Diers from the College of Medicine; Ruth Anne Van Loon, from the School of Social Work; and Andrea Barker, SBIRT Trainer for the School of Social Work. 

Acquavita would like to thank these faculty who collaborated with her for the course, as it was difficult to implement but made possible with their support.