Preparing students to address the social determinants of health in integrated care settings

Jacqueline M McGinley; Erin E Pauling; Nicole Rouhana; Christine E Podolak; Nannette Cowen; Kelsey Hennig; Stacey L Shipe; Sarah R Young; Gail B Rattinger

doi:10.1111/tct.13646

Preparing students to address the social determinants of health in integrated care settings

Clin Teach. 2023 Sep 4:e13646. doi: 10.1111/tct.13646. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Jacqueline M McGinley¹, Erin E Pauling², Nicole Rouhana³, Christine E Podolak⁴, Nannette Cowen³, Kelsey Hennig⁵, Stacey L Shipe⁶, Sarah R Young⁷, Gail B Rattinger⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Social Work, College of Community and Public Affairs, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA.
² Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA.
³ Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA.
⁴ Health Systems Science and Community Engaged Learning, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA.
⁵ Shields Health Solutions, Stoughton, Massachusetts, USA.
⁶ Social Science Research Institute, Penn State & Department of Social Work, College of Community and Public Affairs, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA.
⁷ College of Community and Public Affairs, Department of Social Work, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA.
⁸ School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA.

PMID: 37665034
DOI: 10.1111/tct.13646

Abstract

Background: Health professionals are increasingly being called to address the social determinants of health (SDOH) and, to do so effectively, often requires an integrated approach to care. As a result, accreditation standards across multiple professions have emphasised the importance of interprofessional education (IPE).

Approach: This paper describes large-scale, community-engaged learning that is required annually of students from nursing, pharmacy, public health, and social work. Through a series of asynchronous and synchronous activities that are informed by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative core competencies, students are trained to be SDOH change makers who can readily adopt integrated care service delivery frameworks into their future practice.

Evaluation: Approximately 1000 students have participated in this event since the University launched its IPE curriculum in 2017. Student consistently report achievement of the course learning objectives, with 91% of students reporting that the learning activities enhanced their understanding of their professional roles/responsibilities in regards to addressing poverty and food insecurity.

Implications: Two key lessons learned from these efforts are described, including the benefits of a trauma-informed pedagogical approach and special considerations for large-scale learning.