Pitch Your Best Idea: Creating Collaborative Solutions to Today’s Healthcare Challenges Through a Simulated Experience

The growing incidence and prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) poses a global public health threat. DM impacts about 11.6% of the United States population and is more common among minority groups. In 2022, DM care cost $413 billion. That same year, out-of-pocket expenses in Canada were as high as $18,306. DM contributes to comorbid medical diagnoses, financial burdens including loss of work, and decreased quality of life. Comprehensive DM management requires a collective effort of healthcare systems, interprofessional practitioners, and the academic institutions that educate health professionals and the next generation of practitioners. This session will provide participants an immersive educational experience working in teams to develop an interprofessional collaborative management approach to DM within a health system. The approach will emphasize patient-centered care, care continuity, and reduction of healthcare costs. The innovative interprofessional practice experiences developed during this Shark Tank ® style session may be used by participants at their institutions.Session outline with active learning strategies: Participants will be grouped into interprofessional teams and provided background information (cost and outcomes) associated with DM, including the structure of a fictional healthcare system, “CAB Care,” and an academic institution, “CAB University,” that are partnering together to develop an innovative interprofessional approach to DM and to meet established goals related to components of the Quintuple Aim. The teams will be given time to collaboratively develop an interprofessional learning and practice opportunity. They will pitch their plan to the “Sharks” (Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of “CAB Care” and the Provost and President of “CAB University”). The “Sharks” will provide feedback and select a winning team. The teaching methodology for the workshop will include a brief introduction to foundational knowledge related to interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP), small task-oriented group work, group presentations, and formative feedback on presented materials.