Today, almost half of recently deployed veterans get their health care outside the 1,700 facilities managed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. That number of users increases to 75 percent for all veterans, and many female veterans choose not to access care from the VA at all.
That means no matter where they practice, tomorrow’s health practitioners are likely to be caring for veterans at some point in their careers. With 22 million veterans nationwide, including more than 600,000 in Washington state, this community’s health needs continue to grow. One of the most effective treatment plans for returning veterans is to enlist a team of cross-disciplinary health providers who know how to work together.
A team-based, cross-disciplinary, integrated approach to health care is at the core of a new initiative launched last year at the University of Washington. Known as Interprofessional Education, IPE uses curricula and training opportunities to educate and engage health sciences students from six disciplines—dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health and social work.
The goal is to help future health practitioners understand the services of each discipline, to value individual skills and perspectives, and to learn how to work together now as students so they can function more effectively later as practitioners. During the past year, a series of six IPE sessions flipped the classroom experience, allowing students from the health sciences schools to learn from each other and encouraging faculty to teach in new ways. “Faculty’s role was not to take over but to ask questions,” said J’May Rivara, a lecturer in the University’s School of Social Work. “To observe and be very strategic but not to drive the conversation.”
Each session was sponsored by a health sciences school and centered on a different health issue. The School of Social Work helped to organize the last session in April, which focused on medical issues affecting veterans.
About 600 students participated, meeting in six lecture halls at UW Medicine. After presentations, the students broke into smaller cross-professional groups for discussion. They learned how to ask about past military service and how to solicit information on health issues and risks. The session also included case studies and involved several student and faculty veterans who discussed post-combat health issues.
The collaborative technique so central to IPE is not just for classroom use. The approach reflects the way that health care services are delivered today, according to Ana Fisher (MSW ‘05, pictured above, center), a presenter at the IPE session and a cancer care social worker at the Department of Veterans Affairs. “Vets receive more than health care at the VA,” she said. “We look at all factors, whether medical, psychological or psychosocial. If they are facing financial hardships, a social worker helps them apply for disability. If they cannot drive, a social worker finds transportation. All of these services directly impact treatment and recovery.”
Susie Ryan-Coy (MSW ’14), a student facilitator at the IPE session on veterans, also witnessed IPE principles in action during her advanced practicum at a VA renal dialysis unit. There she worked with a veteran who wanted to quit dialysis. Ryan-Coy called together members of his medical team who learned that dialysis was exacerbating the veteran’s chronic pain symptoms.
“It was helpful for all of us to hear the same information at the same time,” said Ryan-Coy. “Together we developed a treatment plan. Getting to the bottom of things took months but I believe we positively affected this veteran’s health and future.”
As the delivery of health care services continues to evolve, one thing will remain constant: The importance of health professionals working cooperatively in a team setting. “IPE is not just an academic discipline,” said Rivara. “It’s real. Interprofessional teams and a collaborative approach are the wave of the future in health care.”