Preparing Students for Home-Based Practice Through Interprofessional Education: A Scoping Review

Background: The provision of in-home health and social care is increasingly important in the context of supporting an aging population, chronic disease management, and individual autonomy in daily life situations. Home-based practice has been a context for interprofessional education (IPE) to prepare health professional students with the communication, collaboration, and clinical skills to meet the needs of individuals in the home environment. Methods: A scoping review was conducted to identify how IPE has been implemented in experiences designed to prepare students for home-based practice. A search strategy was implemented in 4 databases, and articles were reviewed by 2 independent reviewers. The review is reported in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses scoping review (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Results: Fifty-five articles met inclusion criteria. Interprofessional home visits, instructional sessions, and simulation were the most common educational approaches used to develop students’ abilities for home-based practice. Most educational experiences were in the context of older adults or chronic health conditions. Instructional content predominantly focused on interprofessional teamwork, health management for older adults, communication skills, and considerations when conducting home assessments. Twenty-four studies reported significant findings relating to educational, interprofessional, and clinical outcomes. Conclusion: IPE has provided rich educational experiences for students to develop the skills for home-based practice. While further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of various educational approaches on home-based and interprofessional practice competencies, there is nascent and growing evidence that home visiting in interprofessional student teams has a positive impact on interprofessional learning outcomes.