TRAINING FOR INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAMWORK-EVALUATION OF AN UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENCE

There is evidence that comprehensive geriatric assessment provided by interprofessional health care teams is an effective method for improving survival and function of older adults . Therefore , a component of undergraduate training should focus on interprofessional education which develops knowledge and skills for successful team functioning . The purpose of this project was to assess whether this interprofessional educational experience increased students' knowledge of aging , altered students' attitudes toward the aging population and increased students' knowledge and skills in team functioning . A before - after two group design was used . Thirty students participated in the project over 3 years ( 15 students in each group , experimental and control ). Students in the experimental group took part in weekly problem - based tutorials about team functioning during a clinical placement on a geriatric day hospital team . There were changes in knowledge in the students' attitudes . There were no group differences in the students' perceptions of interprofessional functioning . Students' feedback requested the inclusion of further experiential opportunities to practice skills in supervised environments . Recommendations for future educational initiatives are suggested .