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Volume 29 (3)
Volume 29, Issue 3, Summer 2009
J Contin Educ Health Prof 2009; 29(3):157
FOUNDATIONS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION
Continuing interprofessional education in geriatrics and gerontology in medically underserved areas
Toner JA, Ferguson KD, Sokal RD
A b s t r a c t
There is a widening gap between the health care needs of older persons and the treatment skills of the health care professionals who serve them. This gap is especially severe in rural areas, where there is a shortage of and inadequate collaboration between health care professionals and poor access to services for older persons. There is also a special opportunity in rural areas, particularly those designated as "medically underserved," for continuing interprofessional education as a vehicle for retaining health care professionals who tend to leave medically underserved areas for more lucrative professional opportunities elsewhere. In collaboration with the Consortium of New York Geriatric Education Centers, the Columbia-New York Geriatric Education Center at the Stroud Center of Columbia University has developed the Program for Outreach to Interprofessional Services and Education (POISE). The purpose of POISE is to develop, implement, evaluate, and sustain interprofessional education and training for health care
learners, while emphasizing improved access to health services for the geriatric population in medically underserved areas. The POISE model was designed as an effective approach to teaching the core geriatrics and gerontology curriculum endorsed by the national (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) network of Geriatric Education Centers to health care learners in medically underserved areas of upstate New York. This article describes the adaptation and implementation of the POISE model.
Lessons For Practice
- The Program for Outreach to Interprofessional Services and Education in Medically Underserved Areas (POISE) has begun training 2424 health care professionals working in medically underserved areas in upstate New York.
- Most participants rate the POISE educational programs good–excellent.
- There is currently no empirical evidence of the effect of POISE on participants’ clinical practice.
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