Keywords
Association for Athletic Training Education 2025 Symposium
Abstract
Introduction: In the past decade, interprofessional education (IPE) to promote interprofessional collaborative practice has become an integral component of pre-licensure education in the health professions. Research shows that IPE activities involving problem-solving in patient care that requires cooperation and communication among the professions is most effective. An effective activity to meet interprofessional competencies is the use of escape rooms. Escape rooms are team-based games where groups of individuals solve puzzles to accomplish a specific goal, typically in a limited amount of time. There are many benefits to using escape rooms in education, including promoting problem-solving, teamwork, and creativity, improving focus and the ability to set goals. To succeed, the escape room team must collaborate, communicate effectively, and engage in critical thinking. It is reported that the most successful escape room teams comprise members with various skills, background knowledge, and experiences. Methods: This interprofessional classroom activity partnered nursing and athletic training students together to solve three complex puzzles to apply their knowledge of diabetes management. Various puzzle types and diabetic topics were used to elicit student engagement. Puzzles were also designed to incorporate skills most familiar to each profession, thus requiring a team approach for a successful outcome. Puzzle #1 focused on understanding the difference in symptoms of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Puzzle #2 was about understanding the implications of lab values for a diabetic athlete. Puzzle #3 included carbohydrate counting, drawing and injecting insulin, and patient education. To evaluate the impact of the activity, students completed a pre-test and post-test using the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised (SPICE-R) and a diabetes knowledge assessment (DKA). The SPICE-R was used to measure student perceptions of interprofessional health care. Students rated 10 items using a 5-point Likert-like scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree) that measured the following three factors: interprofessional teamwork and team-based practice, roles/responsibilities for collaborative practice, and patient outcomes from collaborative practice. The DKA consisted of 10 multiple-choice questions that assessed diabetes knowledge that was expected to be attained by students in both programs. Results: For the DKA, a total of 26 participants completed the assessment before and after the intervention: 15 AT and 11 nursing. The median number of correct responses on the knowledge assessment before the escape room was 6.0, which increased significantly to 7.5 after participating in the escape room (p = .035). A total of 34 participants, with 18 AT and 16 nursing, completed both the pre-SPICE-R and the post-SPICE-R. Participation in the escape room resulted in a statistically significant improvement in all three SPICE-R factors: Teamwork (p = .031), Roles/Responsibilities (p = .001), and Patient Outcomes (p < .001). Translation to Practice: The significant improvement in the score of the DKA after the Escape Room shows that the format of the interprofessional gaming activity still allowed all students to learn the educational content and grow in their knowledge of the topic of diabetes. The improvement in SPICE-R scores for both professions shows that this activity succeeded in building teamwork skills, understanding roles/responsibilities, and understanding the impact of improved patient outcomes. Both professions showed significant changes in the factors of roles/responsibilities and patient outcomes, meaning that the activity highlighted these factors of IPE. The factor that did not show significant change was Teamwork because scores were already high to begin with on this section of the tool pre-intervention. Overall, this interprofessional Escape Room was a success that allowed students to learn new information about diabetes while working on a team and learning the roles of another profession while also having fun and enjoying the activity.
Recommended Citation
Jochum, J E.; Carmack, J; and Toon, J
(2025)
"Escape from Diabetes,"
Clinical Practice in Athletic Training: Vol. 8:
Iss.
1, Article 7.
Available at:
https://scholars.indianastate.edu/clinat/vol8/iss1/7
Included in
Biology Commons, Body Regions Commons, Diagnosis Commons, Exercise Physiology Commons, Exercise Science Commons, Health and Physical Education Commons, Investigative Techniques Commons, Kinesiotherapy Commons, Medical Physiology Commons, Movement and Mind-Body Therapies Commons, Musculoskeletal, Neural, and Ocular Physiology Commons, Musculoskeletal System Commons, Occupational Therapy Commons, Other Kinesiology Commons, Other Physiology Commons, Other Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons, Physical Therapy Commons, Physiological Processes Commons, Physiotherapy Commons, Recreational Therapy Commons, Research Methods in Life Sciences Commons, Sports Sciences Commons, Therapeutics Commons, Tissues Commons
