Abstract:

Introduction:
A HyFlex approach was useful in an interprofessional education (IPE) activity as students were coming back from the pandemic allowing students a choice for attending a synchronous activity in-person or online depending on their comfort level. Post-pandemic, the HyFlex approach can be expanded in synchronous IPE activities to include students from different in-person and online health care science programs.

Background:
At our institution, undergraduate health profession students from 10 different programs, based on cancer diagnosis and treatment, participate in IPE activities. These activities include small groups including students from different programs learning about, with and from each other and practicing interprofessional communication and teamwork skills. IPE at our institution began during the pandemic, was optional for students, and was either an online or in-person activity. If the activity was in-person, then online students and those at off-campus rotation sites could not participate. Post-pandemic, IPE activities became mandatory for students which meant finding an approach that could accommodate students from both in-person and online programs for synchronous activities. The HyFlex approach had been successful in a prior IPE activity, so we decided to attempt expanding this approach to our synchronous IPE activities including students from in-person and online programs.

Methodology:
IPE activities were designed through a social constructivist lens and included pedagogical best practices along with technical expertise for an optimal HyFlex experience for students. Each activity included active learning, pre/post assessment and qualitative evaluation for formative feedback and quality improvement. One activity, based on individual behavioral styles, included small groups that were in-person or in an online breakout group. The groups then came together as one large in-person and online group to share from their small groups interactions and discuss. Another activity on roles and responsibilities included small groups consisting of one or two online students along with in-person students. A third activity on interprofessional communication skills included large group brief, small online or in-person group interaction, and a large group debrief.

Results:
Preliminary data analysis shows each different session was successful in the integration of the HyFlex approach. Students showed positive knowledge gains for each session and included an increase in self-reported confidence in skills. Qualitative feedback indicated students appreciated the HyFlex approach and the opportunity to synchronously interact with students from different in-person and online programs.

Discussion:
Expanding the HyFlex approach within IPE activities has successfully addressed including in-person and online students from different programs in synchronous activities. Many of these students would not have had any interaction with each other otherwise. Using the HyFlex approach for IPE activities could have significant implications for institutions with limited health professions on their campus, or for increased interaction between students in online and on-campus programs.

Conclusion:
Expanding the use of the HyFlex approach increases the flexibility for curricular design and the inclusion of students from different programs, and potentially different institutions, to learn with, about and from each other as is necessary for IPE.

Keywords:

HyFlex, hybrid, educational technology, Interprofessional Education, IPE.