Table 2 The composition and content of the interprofessional workshops

Length

2 h

1 h

1 h

Educational approach

Case Based Learning

Video reflections and Significant Event Analysis

High Fidelity Virtual Patient Simulation with Team Based Learning

Student grouping

Mixed groups of up to 6 medical and pharmacy students. 3–4 groups/seminar room.

Mixed groups of up to 6 medical and pharmacy students. 3–4 groups/seminar room.

Mixed groups of up to 8 medical and pharmacy students. 6–7 groups/simulation room.

Facilitators

Doctors and pharmacists together

GP and practicing pharmacist together

Doctors, pharmacists and nurses together

Content

• Two patient cases:

Case 1: A patient with a urinary tract infection that developed into pyelonephritis.

Case 2: A patient with meningitis.

• Students worked together to consider the patients' symptoms and interpret the results of investigations in order to choose the appropriate antimicrobial at each stage of the case and complete prescriptions taking into account dose, duration and route of administration.

• In both cases, the patient was initially treated in primary care and then was transferred to secondary care, enabling prescribing practices in each healthcare setting to be discussed.

• A patient safety session focussing on healthcare professional roles, interprofessional communication and error causation.

• Featuring the case of a patient with an infection who had received suboptimal care in primary care. Included videos of the healthcare professionals reflecting on the pathway of care and factors that contributed to errors.

• Students worked together to complete a significant event analysis, considering the factors that contributed to the development of acute sepsis in the patient. In the case, the patient’s condition deteriorated because of incorrect management and delayed administration of antimicrobials.

• Students followed the acute admission of this patient in the SimMan Sepsis workshop.

• A team-based learning exercise using SimMan^3G to explore the management of acute sepsis.

• Session followed the emergency admission of the patient from the Significant Event Analysis workshop. Students respond to a series of clinical questions to try to treat their patient before he deteriorated.

• This required the use of a range of tools, such as the local Antimicrobial Handbook, BNF and the national sepsis management pathway.

• Students worked through problems encountered and shared their responses with the entire group through a voting system.

• The collective treatment plan was applied to the SimMan so students could observe the real-time effects of their treatment on the virtual patient.