Sherry Layton, MA (Duke University School of Medicine); Tanya Jisa, MSW (Duke University School of Medicine); Chitra Pathiavadi, PhD (Duke University School of Medicine); Rupal Vora, JD (Duke University School of Medicine)
Purpose
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services report that Black women in North Carolina make up a growing proportion of newly diagnosed HIV cases1,2. With a goal to create a unique learning experience that integrates both adult learning and effective interprofessional education principles and that emphasizes coordination of care, the Duke University School of Medicine developed and continues to organize a community forum in collaboration with the University of North Carolina, multiple governmentand community-based organizations, allied healthcare professionals, HIV-infected patients (service users), and other interested community members every year.
Methods
Multiple levels of healthcare professionals (physicians, nurse practitioners nurses, and physician assistants) along with community activists, social workers, concerned citizens in North Carolina, and patients living with HIV/AIDS, are educated on the prevailing medical and social science concerning HIV/AIDs in women of color, supported by major healthcare systems and community organizations. The forum addresses healthcare and social issues affecting women of color living with HIV/AIDS in North Carolina. With a focus on both the caregivers and the service users (patients), the forum encourages professions to learn “with, from, and about each other.” Adopting an “inclusive” view of the professionals attending the forum, the sessions facilitate a “cross-pollination” exchange of information, successes, challenges and innovative strategies and goals for moving forward.
Results
Integration of multiple stakeholders encouraged greater interprofessional collaboration both within and outside of co-sponsoring organizations. The community forum brought allied healthcare professionals and co-sponsoring organizations together with community patient populations to enhance communication and information regarding the prevention, treatment, and management of HIV. In addition to addressing issues affecting women of color at high risk of contracting HIV or currently living with HIV, the community forum provided the opportunity to build and develop partnerships between healthcare providers, community based programs, and concerned citizens.
Conclusions
In order to promote and facilitate patient-centered care, educational strategies and formats that take a team-based approach and effectively reach out to all care givers in addition to clinicians are critical in CME. The HIV community forum is an example of the efforts in place at the Duke University School of Medicine to improve coordination of care by focusing on the healthcare team as well as the patients.
Declaration
No conflicts of interest--all authors.
