Virtual training benefits students and industries

December 18, 2024

Dakota State University health informatics and information students and other students in healthcare information systems or cybersecurity and faculty have the opportunity to participate in the Virtual Interprofessional Education (VIPE) program training with other universities and organizations throughout the world.

The program includes various healthcare professionals working together to address case studies ranging from complex diseases to topics such as ransomware impacting access to health records, human trafficking, and natural disasters.

“Most healthcare careers require some kind of interprofessional experience,” said Dr. Patti Brooks, associate professor and Director of the Center for Advancement of Health IT (CAHIT). “You’ll have people who are doctors, nurses, physician assistants, dentists, pharmacists, physical therapists, health informatics, healthcare administration, law enforcement, and others, involved in the VIPE sessions.”

These virtual sessions allow students to learn how different professions work together in the healthcare industry to address different situations, introducing them to other perspectives to provide the best patient-centered care.

Brooks explained that students enjoy the opportunity to work with people who work or attend well-known universities such as Yale and George Washington University.

She and Dr. Julie Wulf Plimpton also serve as facilitators for VIPE sessions, so they are able to see the students work through the topic.

“For us as professors, it can reinforce that what we’re teaching them is right and it’s working,” Wulf Plimpton said.

Additionally, participation in VIPE allows Brooks and Wulf Plimpton to market DSU’s health informatics and information programs and help others understand the industry.

It also helps other participants understand electronic health records and interoperability barriers to sharing that information between healthcare systems and providers.

Brooks explained, “Many other healthcare professionals may not fully understand the scope of the work of health informatics and information management professionals. They are familiar with direct, hands-on care, but they may not be aware of the behind-the-scenes tasks. For example, we use technology to enhance efficiency and workflows within and across healthcare organizations, provide analytics that inform decisions to improve patient outcomes, and ensure accurate documentation and medical coding for solid legal health records and proper healthcare reimbursement.”

“Healthcare is the most complex industry in the US and it’s a challenge to understand patient complexity, range of services, variations in payment systems, and government regulations.  These VIPE sessions help bring together all professionals involved in patient care to better understand each other’s roles and responsibilities,” Brooks said.