Additional IP Learning

AHEC Tobacco Training and Cessation – Initial Training (ATTAC-IT)

The ATTAC-IT Program is an interdisciplinary tobacco training program for health professions students.  It is sponsored and coordinated by the University of Florida Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program in collaboration with a dedicated team of faculty members from the Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health and Health Professions.  The program provides a foundation for future healthcare providers, preparing them for their roles in tobacco use prevention and cessation interventions, which are critical for improving the health of their patients, their communities, and the state of Florida.

ATTAC-IT is a two-part program, made up of an Afternoon of Learning (AOL) and a Day of Service (DOS).  For theAOL, health professions students in UF’s disciplines of Dentistry, Health Education, Medicine (including future MDs and PAs), Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health and Health Professionsbegin by individually completing online preparatory materials.  The students then come together for a two-hour large-group presentation by experts on current evidence-based strategies for treating tobacco use and dependence, motivational interviewing techniques, and alternative forms of tobacco.  The students spend an additional two hours divided into small interdisciplinarygroups as they engage in cooperative learning activities that expand further on tobacco prevention, cessation interventions, and motivational interviewing. 

As part of the small-group learning experience, the students are provided with a middle-school tobacco education curriculum that they later implement in area schools to complete the second part of ATTAC-IT, the Day of Service.  For the DOS, the students spend a day engaging middle school youth in tobacco prevention education through videos and interactive activities, thus serving as role models for the youth and reinforcing what they learned about tobacco during the Afternoon of Learning.

In 2011, 820 health professions students participated in ATTAC-IT, visiting middle schools in 17 counties.  Since 2007, more than 4,000 health professions students have participated in ATTAC-IT, reaching over 80,000 middle school youth with tobacco prevention education.  Funding for the UF AHEC Tobacco Training and Cessation Program Afternoon of Learning is provided through the Florida Department of Health as part of Florida’s Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program.  Funding for the Day of Service is provided as part of a collaborative HRSA grant through the UF College of Dentistry.

ATTAC-IT Afternoon of Learning Interdisciplinary Small-Group Learning Experience

ATTAC-IT Afternoon of Learning Interdisciplinary Small-Group Learning Experience

 

Caring for Patients with Disabilities (required for all students in the participating colleges)

Second-year medical students and third-year physical therapy students attend a panel including providers and a patient who has had a stroke. The discussion centers on experiences in working with other providers, and the perspective of a patient.

  1. This is followed by a lecture/demonstration on safe patient transfers and also how to assess functional status.
  2. A one-hour small group session uses photo-maps and patient perspectives as a basis for discussion. 
  3. Lastly, groups of 2 med students and 1 PT student examine 2 real patients (from Center for Independent Living and the PT patient pool.) Medical students will practice asking about functional status with guidance as needed from PT student.  Then one student will assist with transfer in order to do a supine heart exam.  Both students will do the heart exam on each patient. Students will seek help from PT student as needed. 

 

 EMR Software: Interprofessional training (required for all students in the participating colleges)

This grant-supported project is establishing a dummy educational version of electronic medical record (EMR) systems in use in the Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine and Pharmacy. This educational version will be used to teach health professions students as well as post-graduate residents how to utilize the EMR system. Studies suggest that earlier exposure to EMR systems results in a higher utilization of high level EMR services (such as screening reminders, appointment keepers and discussion aids for patients). Additionally, interprofessional cases will be developed which will allow students from different health care disciplines to work together as a team. The four phases of this project are as follows:

  1. Student will be taught how to enter patient data into an EMR in a correct and efficient format.
  2. Students will be taught how to effectively communicate with a patient as data are entered into the EMR.
  3. Each college will develop cases that require longitudinal care, including developing a patient care plan and a SOAP note.
  4. Interprofessional cases and communication methods will be developed.