Over 250 NIU students recently participated in the seventh annual Interdisciplinary Case Study Event–an event that brings together students from audiology, counseling, dietetics, medical laboratory sciences, nursing, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology to discuss issues related to providing quality health care to a patient.
The event aims to help students improve their interdisciplinary collaboration skills such developing trust with patients and other team members, engaging in active listening, and integrating knowledge and experience from other professions as a way to effectively inform care.
Students and their faculty prepared approaches for the case of a 66-year-old male with a history of recurring squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. At the event, participants shared their case scope of practice and priorities with students from different disciplines. Participants discussed referrals and how collaboration could improve patient outcomes. Attendees asked the patient questions via Skype and provided him recommendations.
Participating students from all disciplines reported the event was useful, many commenting on how the experience will assist them in delivering better informed patient care.
“It was impressive to see strangers come to an event, and quickly become a team with their tablemates,” said Sherrill Morris, School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders chair and one of the event’s organizers. “Everyone left the event with additional insights regarding mutual respect, professional scopes of practice, communication and collaboration.”
