Family caregivers are on the frontlines managing complicated chronic illnesses, assisting with day-to-day functioning, and providing direct care to manage symptoms and improve the quality of life of their loved ones. Yet, health professions students, medical/surgical residents, and care providers receive little, if any, training on the vital role that caregivers play on the healthcare team and how, effective partnering optimizes patient care throughout the illness trajectory and at end-of life.

The goal of Building Caregiver Partnerships through Innovative Interprofessional Education is to create effective partnerships between healthcare providers and family caregivers to reduce the burdens, ease suffering, and enhance the meaning of the caregiving experience for the patient, family and health care providers.  The project centers on a 20-minute film, No Roadmap: Caregiver Journeys, which features the compelling stories of four caregiving families. The film and companion discussion guides as well as resources for case-based learning and structured clinical encounters are freely accessible on the website. http://www.neomed.edu/medicine/palliativecare/building-caregiver-partnerships/

The website is designed so that faculty can easily select the materials that best fit their learners’ needs and the time constraints within their programs. The curricula is appropriate for medical, pharmacy, nursing, and other health professions educational programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Additionally, tools have been developed for interdisciplinary team-based forums and health provider training.  For medical/surgical residency programs, relevant ACGME milestones are identified.