Working Together: Addressing Cultural Diversity, Patient Safety, and Quality Care through an Interprofessional Health Care Course

An interprofessional course was designed to augment the integration of practice and education in a large, public northeastern university. The schools of medicine, nursing, and social work, along with the associated hospital's quality assurance team, worked together to design curricula aimed at improving quality of care, communication, collaboration, and teamwork. Development and implementation of the elective course resulted in extended discussions among the schools, complementing the university's overall initiative to develop a formal interprofessional educational program. Evaluations indicated that participants developed a greater appreciation for the roles of fellow health care professionals and a desire to better utilize their services.