Use of interdisciplinary simulation to understand perceptions of team members' roles

The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary approach to learning in helping care providers understand their overlapping roles in the clinical management of asthma. In addition, the perceived usefulness of an interdisciplinary approach for students in the health-care disciplines of nursing, medicine, pharmacy, and respiratory therapy to learn about the clinical management of asthma was explored. The diffusion of innovation framework [Rogers (1995), Diffusions of Innovations (5th ed.). New York: Free Press] was used to guide the process of development of CD-ROMs. An interpretative approach was selected for this research because of the emphasis on how a phenomenon is perceived and how meaning is constructed in situations. This approach assumes that multiple ways of interpreting experiences are available through interaction. A convenience sample of health-care practitioners from two rural campuses was selected to participate in this study. The cohort of participants represented students from the population of a large midwestern moderate-sized university that has four geographically distinct campuses. Preliminary results indicate that the use of interdisciplinary learning helps clarify the roles of each discipline and that learning from one another is enhanced.