Evaluation of an interprofessional care coordination model: Benefits to health professions students and the community served

Background/Purpose: An innovative care coordination program was developed to enhance wellness among low-income older adults living in subsidized apartment buildings and to provide rich interprofessional education experiences for health professions students. Methods: Program effectiveness for the residents was measured through an evaluation of participation, services used, and healthcare utilization. Educational effectiveness was measured through a change in health concepts and perceptions of interprofessional practice. Findings: Health care utilization among participating residents showed an 8.6% reduction in emergency department visits and 9.8% reduction in hospital admissions. Students demonstrated improved knowledge in motivational interviewing (p = .02); diabetes (p = .02); hypertension (p<.01); and frailty (p<.01). Changes in students perception of interprofessional practice were significant in two areas; Teamwork and Collaboration (p>.00); and Person Centeredness (p = .00). Discussion: This care coordination model may be an effective approach to reduce care resource utilization among medically complex lower income older adults and provides a rich interprofessional learning experience for students. Cite this article: Parsons, P.L., Slattum, P.W., Thomas, C.K., Cheng, J.L., Alsane, D., & Giddens, J.L. (2021, May/June). Evaluation of an interprofessional care coordination model: Benefits to health professions students and the community served. Nurs Outlook, 69(3), 322-332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. outlook.2020.09.007.