An interprofessional team from the Duke Schools of Medicine and Nursing, Duke Health System and Duke Health Technology Solutions collaborated to create 30 online continuing education modules to assist health care professionals in the care of the frail elder population.

Every day interprofessional teams come together to solve complex problems and provide the best possible care for their patients. Many of these teams work with older adults who have higher rates of multiple medical conditions, limited physical and cognitive abilities, and limited resources.  

“Safe and effective care for older adults requires the attention and expertise of the entire team of health professionals,” says Mitchell Heflin, MD, professor of medicine, associate dean for Interprofessional Education and Care, and contributor to the training modules. “My colleagues and I created the modules to impart not just facts and information, but also the essence and importance of interprofessional care. We engaged a group of expert clinicians from different departments, disciplines and professions in producing modules designed to empower all members of the health care team.”

The modules address five critical concept areas including delirium, care transitions, medication management, malnutrition and shared decision making. Each module contains customized content addressing the learning needs of the diverse health care workforce responsible for the care of frail elders through specific case material and role specific content.

“Older adults are particularly vulnerable to care fragmentation, so it is especially important for care team members to have a common understanding of how each profession and role can support good outcomes,” says Eleanor McConnell, PhD, MSN, RN,  associate professor and contributor to the training modules. “Working collaboratively with nursing, medicine, pharmacy and other disciplines has allowed for a consistent message about how teams can function effectively to prevent common complications of care that threaten independent function and wellbeing in older adults.”

The modules were created to enhance care of older adults through increased awareness of the challenges of caring for aging populations, recognizing frailty as a key contributor to vulnerability among frail elders and by building competency across professions.

“Optimizing care for older adults truly takes a team that spans the care continuum,” says Loretta Matters, MSN, RN-BC, associate director of the Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence and project director. “The training modules were developed collaboratively by interprofessional faculty and clinicians from across Duke and focus not only on geriatric clinical issues but also care coordination and communication among team members, including the patient and family, to optimize care.”

The available modules include:

• Acute Care

  • Delirium: A Medical Emergency, Acute Care, Providers

  • Delirium: A Medical Emergency, Acute Care, Frontline Staff

  • Delirium: A Medical Emergency, Acute Care, Allied Health Staff

  • Care Transitions, Acute Care, All Staff

  • Medication Management: A Team Effort, Acute Care, Provider

  • Medication Management: A Team Effort, Acute Care, All Staff

  • Malnutrition in Older Adults, Acute Care, All Staff

  • Malnutrition in Older Adults, Acute Care, Provider

  • Shared Decision Making, Acute Care, Interprofessional Staff

• Ambulatory

  • Delirium: A Medical Emergency, Ambulatory Care, Provider

  • Delirium: A Medical Emergency, Ambulatory Care, All Staff

  • Care Transitions, Ambulatory Care, Interprofessional Staff

  • Medication Management, Ambulatory Care, Provider

  • Medication Management, Ambulatory Care, All Staff

  • Malnutrition in Older Adults, Ambulatory Care, Provider

  • Malnutrition in Older Adults, Ambulatory Care, All Staff

  • Shared Decision Making, Ambulatory Care, Interprofessional Staff

• Home Care

  • Delirium: A Medical Emergency, Home Care, All Staff

  • Care Transitions, All Staff in the Home Care Setting

  • Medication Management, A Team Effort, Home Care

  • Malnutrition in Older Adults, Home Care

  • Shared Decision Making, All Staff in the Home Care Setting

• Post-Acute Care

  • Delirium: A Medical Emergency, Post-Acute and Long-Term Care, Provider

  • Delirium: A Medical Emergency, Post-Acute and Long-Term Care, All Staff

  • Care Transitions, Post-Acute and Long-Term Care, Interprofessional Staff

  • Medication Management, Post-Acute and Long-Term Care, Provider

  • Medication Management, Pot-Acute and Long-Term Care, All Staff

  • Malnutrition in Older Adults, Post-Acute and Long-Term Care, Provider

  • Malnutrition in Older Adults, Post-Acute and Long-Term Care, All Staff

  • Shared Decision Making, Post-Acute and Long-Term Care, Interprofessional Staff

You can earn CE with each of these courses. They can be accessed by logging onto Duke’s Intranet Learning Management System. Log in with your net ID and password here and search for your specific module through the Learning Management System search catalog feature.

We would like to thank the more than 100 individuals who contributed in some way to the development of the modules: from content experts to those who volunteered to play a part in an instructional video, to those who reviewed and timed each module to support the continuing education application process.  We would like to say a special thank you to: Judith Adams, Andrew Buchanan, Brian Aucoin, Midge Bowers, Dave Bowersox, Jean Bridges, Gwendolen Buhr, Lisa Day, Emily Egerton, Michael Evans, Jennifer Gentry, Heather Mabry, Tom LeBlanc, Cindy Luddy, Shelley McDonald, Sally Morgan, Leah Ricker, Valerie Sabol, Benjamin Smith, Kathryn Starr, Christine Tocchi, and Heidi White.