Creating Interprofessional Readiness to Advance Age-Friendly U.S. Healthcare

Leland Waters, Sarah A. Marrs, Catherine J. Tompkins, Robert Fix, Sheryl Finucane, Constance L. Coogle, Kevin Grunden, Emily S. Ihara, Madeline McIntyre, Pamela Parsons and Patricia Slattum
Additional contact information
Leland Waters: Virginia Center on Aging, College of Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980229, Richmond, VA 23298-0229, USA
Sarah A. Marrs: Virginia Center on Aging, College of Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980229, Richmond, VA 23298-0229, USA
Catherine J. Tompkins: Department of Social Work, College of Health and Human Services, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MS 1F8, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
Robert Fix: Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980008, Richmond, VA 23298-0008, USA
Sheryl Finucane: Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980224, Richmond, VA 23298-0224, USA
Constance L. Coogle: Virginia Center on Aging, College of Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980229, Richmond, VA 23298-0229, USA
Kevin Grunden: Virginia Center on Aging, College of Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980229, Richmond, VA 23298-0229, USA
Emily S. Ihara: Department of Social Work, College of Health and Human Services, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MS 1F8, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
Madeline McIntyre: Virginia Center on Aging, College of Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980229, Richmond, VA 23298-0229, USA
Pamela Parsons: School of Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980567, Richmond, VA 23298-0567, USA
Patricia Slattum: Virginia Center on Aging, College of Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980229, Richmond, VA 23298-0229, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 9, 1-17

Abstract: A successful interprofessional faculty development program was transformed into a more clinically focused professional development opportunity for both faculty and clinicians. Discipline-specific geriatric competencies and the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competencies were aligned to the 4Ms framework. The goal of the resulting program, Creating Interprofessional Readiness for Complex and Aging Adults (CIRCAA), was to advance an age-friendly practice using evidence-based strategies to support wellness and improve health outcomes while also addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH). An interprofessional team employed a multidimensional approach to create age-friendly, person-centered practitioners. In this mixed methods study, questionnaires were disseminated and focus groups were conducted with two cohorts of CIRCAA scholars to determine their ability to incorporate learned evidence-based strategies into their own practice environments. Themes and patterns were identified among transcribed interview recordings. Multiple coders were used to identify themes and patterns and inter-coder reliability was assessed. The findings indicate that participants successfully incorporated age-friendly principles and best practices into their own work environments and escaped the silos of their disciplines through the implementation of their capstone projects. Quantitative data supported qualitative themes and revealed gains in knowledge of critical components of age-friendly healthcare and perceptions of interprofessional collaborative care. These results are discussed within a new conceptual framework for studying the multidimensional complexity of what it means to be age-friendly. Our findings suggest that programs such as CIRCAA have the potential to improve older adults’ health by addressing SDOH, advancing age-friendly and patient-centered care, and promoting an interprofessional model of evidence-based practice.

Keywords: older adult; wellness; health promotion; age-friendly practice; what matters; medication; mentation; mobility; health disparities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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