• Amy L Pittenger.
• University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
• Am J Pharm Educ. 2013 Oct 14; 77 (8): 174.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of using an online social networking platform for interprofessional education.DesignThree groups of 6 students were formed with 1 student in each group from medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, and public health. Each group followed a different collaborative educational model with a unique pedagogical structure. Students in all groups interacted via an online social networking platform for a minimum of 15 weeks and met in person once at the end of the 15-week experience for a focus group session. The students were tasked with developing a collaborative recommendation for using social networking in interprofessional education programs.AssessmentMost of the students who reported in a post-experience survey that their expectations were not met were in the minimally structured group. Almost all students in the facilitated and highly structured groups indicated that this experience positively impacted their knowledge of other health professions. Most students stated that interacting within a social networking space for 15 weeks with other members of the university's health professions programs was a positive and effective interprofessional education experience.ConclusionSocial networking is feasible and can be used effectively within an overall strategy for interprofessional education, but design and placement within a core content course is critical to success.

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