[three_fourth]Summary
The HealthFusion Team Challenge is a competition-based program for students in a wide range of health-related disciplines. Based in Australia, the program is open to universities across the world and is growing quickly. The program is non-credit bearing (that is, no agreements are in place for cross-credit), although it could feasibly be incorporated into the curriculum at the member institutions. Students work in teams to solve a case-based challenge and compete with one another at local, national and international events.

Introduction/background
The HealthFusion Team Challenge (HFTC) is a not-for-profit interprofesssional education program coordinated by an interprofessional team of health academics located at universities across Queensland. Originally developed at The University of Queensland (UQ) in 2007, the administrative centre is now located within Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane. The program was designed to provide students from the health sciences with an extracurricular opportunity to develop critical interprofessional teamwork and leadership skills ahead of graduation. The program was developed following extensive investigation into the options for interprofessional education (IPE), and resulted from a recognition that there was a disconnect between industry and classroom with regards to effective interprofessional learning (IPL) and cross discipline collaboration.

The extracurricular approach emerged as the most effective way to develop a program given the challenges of university structures and an already highly concentrated health science curriculum. Senior students volunteer to participate in the HFTC outside their normal class time commitments. Nonetheless, uptake continues to increase and the program maintains a high level of connectedness with established curriculum. This connectedness is fostered through the development and utilisation of highly relevant case studies and the engagement of students from all year levels into various facets of the challenge. For example early career students can attend HFTC events in order to observe senior students form interprofessonal teams and develop management strategies for clients with complex needs. Their observations can then be explored in later class based activities.

The HFTC is primarily targeted at tertiary education, however participating teams in the program’s annual Trans-Tasman event (TT HFTC), can come from a wide range of settings, including tertiary institutions, community-based IPE student clinics, IPE hospital programs and student associations. The HFTC project team is also involved with the wider IPE community and maintains partnerships with institutions developing similar learning activities across Australia and New Zealand, as well as Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the US.

Any health related profession is welcome to participate in the HFTC and the professional mix is varied and growing. Students in the past have represented professional disciplines as diverse as:
• Audiology
• Behavioural Science
• Biomedical Science
• Dietetics
• Dentistry
• Disability Studies
• Exercise Physiology
• Exercise Science
• Medicine
• Midwifery
• Nursing
• Occupational therapy
• Paramedic Science
• Pharmacy
• Physiotherapy
• Psychology
• Social work
• Speech pathology
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Delivery
HFTC teams are formed of between 4-6 students from across the health professions. Team composition is not dictated, but teams may only contain one representative from any one health profession. All teams are provided with the same challenging case study, developed in consultation with experts in the field, and teams are asked to develop a client management plan over the course of four weeks. Teams use this time to conduct research, familiarise themselves with the case study and develop a five minute presentation about their plan. They may also ask invited professional mentors a restricted number of questions about any issues they cannot problem-solve within their team. At the end of the preparation period teams come together for the HFTC live event.

During a typical HFTC event, teams present their management plan to an audience and panel of judges under timed conditions. They are also asked to respond to a range of challenging theoretical, practical and ethical extension questions designed to test them under pressure. The team that demonstrates the highest level of mastery of teamwork, communication and collaboration over the course of the program is declared the winner. Teams may also participate in a number of secondary fun activities, such as poster or art competitions during the day. In some institutions, timing and large student numbers means that team presentations are delivered via submitted videos with practical components completed in person at a later date. All teams are assessed using a specially designed rubric informed by the Canadian Interprofessional Health Competencies Framework.

The HFTC is delivered on two platforms within Australian universities; intra-university and Trans-Tasman. At an intra-university level, pre-selection competitions may be held to determine which team will represent at the Trans-Tasman HFTC (TT HFTC). This may be in a competitive format, discursive forum format, or team members may be shoulder-tapped based on known student skill level. Within universities, HFTC participation is monitored and maintained by a self-selected panel of academic representatives representing each professional discipline taking part. This panel is responsible for recruiting and communicating with students, developing case studies for intra-university events and providing students with a resource of mentors they can contact during their preparation period. They are also involved with communicating with the HFTC Project Team via a selected university representative.

The HFTC also offers programs on two additional platforms for practicing professionals and high school students. HFTCPRO is designed for practicing professionals, clinical educators, new graduates and established teams looking to enhance or improve their skills in interprofessional practice and collaboration. The program bridges the gap between classroom and industry with a format similar to university HFTC events, but reflective of their level of expertise, time and workplace constraints. Events are typically held as an intensive workshop, either on a weekend or during scheduled conference proceedings and may be targeted at specific themes and workplace formats or held as part of a drop-in workshop for professional development. HFTC KickStart is the program’s newest development, looking to enhance student understanding and uptake of the health sciences while still in high school. It takes advantage of existing initiatives by Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs across Australia and provides an immersive short-course introduction to the health sciences while fostering leadership and teamwork.

Outcomes
The programs primary objectives are encapsulated in the program’s six foundation learning objectives:
• To authentically complement existing uni-professional and interprofessional learning
• To enhance students’ knowledge and value of other professions
• To increase understanding about IPE
• To enhance attitudes towards teamwork
• To overcome structural barriers to IPE
• To contribute evidence towards further IPE education

As students achieve these outcomes they may also improve their interprofessional communication, collaboration and teamwork skills while practicing skills in leadership, conflict resolution and time management. As Australia’s health care system moves towards a more team-based approach, the program also provides students with additional skills and experience that may enhance their employability. Students work in realistic timeframes and build skills in teamwork under pressure. They develop skills in organisation and project management, communication and professionalism. They both develop skills in their professional area and extend their understanding of the roles and value of other health professions. Both student teams and their supporters gain significant ground in their appreciation of the interprofessional approach and more broadly teamwork. Students have the opportunity to represent their cohort and their profession, as well as develop important professional networks as they are exposed to industry experts, influential academics and senior guests at each HFTC event.

Since 2006, over 900 students and 18 institutions have taken part, with 25 more organisations involved in the HFTC’s international interprofessional network. The program has received numerous grants and been the recipient of a University of Queensland Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (COCSL, 2011) and in 2013, an Office of Learning and Teaching Award for Programs that Enhance Student Learning (APEL). Over the years, research with students and graduates has demonstrated that they become closely engaged with each other and with the program, to the extent that those relationships continue post-graduation. Students also report significant gains in professional and personal confidence and many alumni of the program go on to become leaders in their professions (see examples at http://www.healthfusionteamchallenge.com/01_cms/details.asp?ID=45).

Sustainability
The program was originally funded through a small University of Queensland fellowship grant. Initial successes and the timeliness of the approach has allowed the program to attract internal and external grants totally in excess of $320,000, as well as launch a not-for-profit consultancy arm specifically working on projects involving HFTCPRO and HFTC KickStart.

As the program has grown, a combination of sponsorship, membership contributions and grant funding, as well as in-kind institutional support from UQ, Central Queensland University, and QUT has allowed the team to maintain and grow activities. More recently, the growth and maturity of the project’s consultancy arm has meant the HFTC is moving towards a fully developed sustainability model.

To find out more or to register your interest in the Health Fusion Team Challenge, go to http://www.healthfusionteamchallenge.com/

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Key characteristics
Interdisciplinary team-based competition, 8 weeks or less, not formally credit bearing
Student cohort – Any health discipline, usually final year
Numbers – growing fast, any university can apply to join the program
Resourcing – small member fees, national grants and consultancy funding support the program, member institutions provide mentors and facilitate their student activities

Authors/contacts

Project Co-Directors
Professor Lisa Nissen
Associate Professor Monica Moran
Associate Professor Rosalie Boyce

For all inquiries:
Project Manager
Ms Stephanie Castaneda [email_link email=”hftc@qut.edu.au”]Email Stephanie[/email_link]
Project Officer
Ms Jane Furnas [email_link email=”hftc@qut.edu.au”]Email Jane[/email_link]

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