Employing mobile technology for a collaborative neighborhood IPE project serving vulnerable populations

The Interprofessional Care Access Network (I-CAN) is designed to create a collaborative model for clinical practice and education that enhances health care experiences, improves population health outcomes, and reduces health care costs for vulnerable populations. The project builds collaboration between academic programs, community service organizations, and health care agencies by forming interprofessional teams of students during their clinical rotations. The student teams – consisting of nursing, medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry – work with disadvantaged and underserved populations to address social determinants of health through team-based, patient-centered care coordination. Because the project is community-based, mobile technology has been employed to allow the student teams to collect data in the field in a secure and confidential manner, in real-time, with minimal steps between the point of collection and data management. Using tablets equipped with cellular network connectivity, teams are able to access and update patient documentation remotely, extending the reach of practice to vulnerable populations, including those experiencing limited mobility or social isolation. The technology is also utilized to connect remotely to language interpreters, providing access to a breadth of languages, increasing patient confidentiality, and decreasing project costs. The incorporation of mobile technology for community-based research is not without drawbacks, however, including initial cost of equipment, time for initial and ongoing system development, and team training. Additional challenges involve continuously and consistently training student teams with high turnover, maintaining compatibility with evolving technologies, and adhering to privacy protection policies. If projects are willing to surmount these challenges, the potential benefits are many.