Title: A Model to Evaluate Interprofessional Training Effectiveness: Feasibility and Five-Year Outcomes of a Multi-Site Prospective Cohort Study
Legend: The figure displays trajectories of leadership activity participation among LEND Trainees and comparison peers over five years. Number of leadership activities increased with each study year (Estimate = 0.16, SE = 0.06, p < .01) for LEND trainees and comparison peers. However, the number of leadership activities (Estimate = 0.75, SE = 0.19, p < .001) was significantly higher for the LEND trainee group and the annual increase in number of leadership activities (Estimate = 0.31, SE = 0.08, p < .001) was greater for LEND trainees compared to comparison peers.
Citation: Bishop, L., Harris, A. B., Rabidoux, P. C., Laughlin, S. F., McLean, K. J., & Noll, R. B. (2022). A model to evaluate interprofessional training effectiveness: feasibility and five-year outcomes of a multi-site prospective cohort study. Maternal and Child Health Journal.
Abstract: Assessing the impact of interdisciplinary training programs is highly desirable and needed. However, there are currently no established methods to prospectively assess long-term outcomes of trainees compared to individuals who did not receive training. Our objective was to test the feasibility of a longitudinal, prospective cohort design to evaluate training outcomes, and to use this method to evaluate Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and Related Disorders (LEND) training outcomes. LEND trainees were matched to comparison peers and followed annually for up to five years using a pre-existing outcomes survey. We assessed study feasibility using recruitment and retention data over five years. We then looked at preliminary efficacy of LEND training in LEND trainees compared to comparison peers using the pre-existing outcomes survey. Overall, 68.3% of eligible trainees participated in the Outcomes Study across five years, and 66.0% were matched to comparison peers. On average, 84.4% of LEND trainees and 79.9% of comparison peers completed the outcomes survey annually. Attrition was low at 0.9% for LEND trainees and 2.6% for comparison peers over five years. LEND training demonstrated preliminary efficacy in promoting leadership development: LEND trainees began their careers engaged in more leadership activities than comparison peers, and the rate of growth in their participation in leadership activities was greater. The design used to assess outcomes is a feasible approach that can be widely used to assess training program outcomes. Analyses suggest that LEND training is efficacious in increasing involvement in leadership activities over time after graduation
About LEND Programs: Sixty LEND programs nationally operate within universities and collaborate with university hospitals and/or academic health centers to provide advanced interdisciplinary training to enhance the clinical expertise and leadership skills of a broad array of professionals. WI LEND is part of the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at the Waisman Center, and includes over 30 trainees annually and up to 14 disciplines – many health professions, Family and Disability Advocacy trainees.
About the Lab: Dr. Bishop is interested in factors that improve health equity and reduce health disparities in adults with developmental disabilities as they age. Current research projects conducted by the Aging and Health Equity in Autism and Developmental Disabilities (AHEADD) Team aim to investigate disparities in health and wellbeing in autistic adults as they age. Dr. Bishop and the AHEADD Team are also broadly interested in education and training aimed at educating the workforce of practitioners who provide community-based services to people with developmental disabilities.
Investigator: Lauren Bishop, PhD