Abstract
Purpose: The presentation was developed by the Interdisciplinary Committee of the Health Science Division of the College to increase awareness about a common health concern, osteoporosis. The target audience was the local community including, students, faculty, staff and local residents. Description: The Interdisciplinary Committee was comprised of members from the Nursing, Radiography, Occupational and Physical Therapy Departments. The committee members met to discuss issues related to diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis. Each member then developed a 20-25 minute presentation related to the role of their discipline in the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis. Nursing reviewed common risk factors and discussed medications commonly used. The importance of good nutrition through the life span was also emphasized. Radiography explained current diagnostic imaging used to detect the disease. Occupational Therapy discussed home evaluations and fall prevention. Physical Therapy presented the benefits of exercise in maintaining fitness levels and preventing further bone loss. A power point presentation was developed and presented to the audience. The session lasted approximately 1 1/2 hours and was video-taped for future use by all disciplines. Observations: The presentation was well received by the audience. Several individuals in attendance commented on the effectiveness of the interdisciplinary approach to the presentation. Following the presentation several students stated they had a greater appreciation for the other disciplines and the roles they play in providing comprehensive care to patients. Two individuals suggested incorporating more information about how the disease is diagnosed and treated in males as compared to females. Conclusions: With growing concerns over the cost of healthcare today there comes an increased need to be aware of and to prevent duplication of services. Presenting topics from an interdisciplinary perspective may be one way of training future clinicians from all disciplines to consider collaboration and open communication among health care providers to decrease overlapping services and keep health care costs down. The Interdisciplinary Committee from this college has decided to propose future collaborative efforts along these lines for the benefit of the students, college and local community.