Interprofessional Peer Teaching to Enhance Early Identification of Speech-Language-Hearing Delays

What is it about?

In health care today, there's a big move towards team-based care, where different professionals work together to provide the best patient outcomes. To support this, it's important for students in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) programs to learn how to collaborate effectively. One effective way to promote this learning is through peer teaching, where students teach each other. This study looked at how an educational program where speech-language pathology (SLP) and audiology (AuD) students taught physician assistant (PA) students about developmental milestones and screening in speech, language, and hearing affected the PA students' knowledge. The results showed that the PA students learned significantly more after the program and found the peer teaching experience very positive. This collaboration is crucial for improving training programs and preparing students for team-based care in pediatric settings.

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Photo by Ortopediatri Çocuk Ortopedi Akademisi on Unsplash

Photo by Ortopediatri Çocuk Ortopedi Akademisi on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study is timely because it addresses the current trend in health care towards team-based care, emphasizing the need for future professionals to be well-prepared for collaborative practice. What makes this work unique is its focus on peer teaching as a method to enhance interprofessional education. By having SLP and AuD students teach PA students, the study highlights a practical and effective approach to improving knowledge and satisfaction among healthcare students. This interprofessional peer teaching model can be a valuable addition to graduate training programs, especially in fields like pediatric primary care where collaborative practice is essential.