Piloting Library-Led Interprofessional Education: Lessons from the Cockpit
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18060/29233Keywords:
academic health sciences libraries, interprofessional education, consumer health information, health communication, Health information professionalsAbstract
Introduction: Interprofessional Education (IPE) is a core component of health professions
training, supporting collaboration across disciplines to improve health outcomes. At the
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, IPE is scaffolded through seven required
workshops aligned with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Quadruple Aim. While
clinical teamwork is emphasized in the existing curriculum, librarians identified a gap in
consumer health information training, essential for patient engagement and shared
decision-making.
Experience: Three librarians collaborated across two campuses to create IPE workshop
scenarios modeled on funding opportunities from the Network of the National Library of
Medicine. The workshops tasked interprofessional student teams with designing grant
proposals using National Library of Medicine resources. Two of the scenarios were delivered
four times between spring 2024 and spring 2025. Evaluation used adapted questions on IPE
competencies, peer reviews, and open-ended responses to assess student learning outcomes.
Discussion: A total of 230 students participated across four workshops, representing the
Colleges of Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health. Most
participants agreed or strongly agreed that the workshop improved their attitudes toward IPE
and enhanced their learning. Qualitative feedback highlighted the importance of consumer
health information in future practice, particularly for patient communication. A one-way
ANOVA revealed a significant difference in perceptions of effective use of time, with
Medicine and Health Professions students rating lower than Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public
Health students (p = 0.012). Limitations included the absence of pre/post data and challenges
implementing one scenario due to curricular and facilitation constraints.
Takeaways: Librarian-led workshops addressed a curricular gap by integrating consumer
health information into IPE. Despite challenges in implementation and assessment design,
results demonstrate the value of librarian involvement in health professions education. The
model is transferable to other IPE programs and expands the evidence base for librarian roles
in advancing interprofessional learning.
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