Piloting an interprofessional virtual cadaveric dissection course: Responding to COVID‐19
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AbstractInterprofessional learning improves students' clinical and interprofessional competencies. COVID‐19 prevented delivering in‐person education and motivated the development of a virtual interprofessional cadaveric dissection (ICD) course. This study reports on the effects of a virtual ICD course compared to a previously delivered in‐person course, on students' readiness for, and perceptions about, interprofessional learning. Students attending the ICD course in‐person (2019–2020) or virtually (2020–2021) completed the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and the Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS). Students in the virtual course also provided written feedback. Thirty‐two (24 women; Median: 24 [Q1‐Q3: 22–25] years) and 23 students (18 women; 22 [21–23] years) attended the in‐person and virtual courses, respectively. In the virtual cohort, the RIPLS total score (82 [76–87] vs. 85 [78–90]; p = 0.034) and the roles and responsibilities sub‐score (11 [9–12] vs. 12 [11–13]; p = 0.001) improved significantly. In the in‐person cohort, the roles and responsibilities sub‐score improved significantly (12 [10–14] vs. 13 [11–14]; p = 0.017). No significant differences were observed between cohorts (p < 0.05). Themes identified in the qualitative analysis were advantages and positive experiences, competencies acquired, disadvantages and challenges, and preferences and suggestions. In‐person and virtual ICD courses seem to have similar effects on students' interprofessional learning. However, students reported preferring the in‐person setting for learning anatomy‐dissection skills.
