260353 Connecting the dots: Educating future health professionals on the national and local agenda

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 : 8:47 AM - 9:02 AM

Renaisa S. Anthony, MD, MPH , Center for Reducing Health Disparities, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Magda G. Peck, ScD , College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Inter-professional education and training is essential for addressing the complexity of preconception health and health care. Improving reproductive and birth outcomes require multifold approaches that incorporate the pillars of public health (health-promotion and disease-prevention) as well as clinical medicine. Therefore, maternal/child health and women's health clinical trainees represent an ideal cohort for inter-professional education.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center has been working to connect the dots between public health and clinical medicine in the area of preconception care. In 2011, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services funded an inter-professional workshop for public health and medical students as well as resident house officers in Ob/GYN, pediatrics, internal and family medicine. The focus of the workshop was to connect the dots from national preconception recommendations and efforts to the state and local practices. A formal pre and post evaluation was designed and implemented to assess knowledge, beliefs and practices. Dr. Michael Lu (preconception and life-course expert) was the keynote speaker along with representatives from local federally qualified health centers (FQHC).

Evaluation results demonstrated limited pre-workshop knowledge on the life-course model, women's health services at FQHCs, CDC preconception care clinical guidelines, federal agencies dedicated to women's health and the Clinical Preventative Services for Women IOM Report (n=58). Post-workshop knowledge demonstrated increased knowledge across the aforementioned items and an interest in additional inter-professional training and education.

In conclusion, connecting the dots around preconception health for public health and medical trainees using inter-professional education represents a synergistic opportunity for advancing women's health.

Learning Areas:
Clinical medicine applied in public health
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
1) Discuss the importance of interprofessional education between medical and public health professionals to address women's health issues namely preconception health and health care. 2) Describe the interprofessional 2012 Preconception and Interconception Health Across the Lifespan Workshop at UNMC featuring Dr. Micheal Lu. 3) Identify feasible approaches to replicate efforts at other academic institutions.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I served as the facilitator for this interprofessional workshop on preconception care across the life span.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5028.0: Interprofessional Education for Public Health