AFRI-VIPE: Simulated patients (SPs) role in virtual interprofessional education (VIPE)

Simulated Patients (SPs) in health professions education are an integral part of the education of future healthcare practitioners to deliver patient-centered care. The researchers first met at the Africa Interprofessional Education Network (AfrIPEN) conference in August 2019. They formed a committee to develop virtual interprofessional education (VIPE) across multiple institutions and countries entitled ‘AFRI-VIPE’. The researchers convened monthly to develop a cross-cultural case that intertwined with the use of an SP. The Association of Standardized Patient Educators (ASPE's) five domains adapted from the Standards of Best Practice (SOBP) guided the recording of the SP enacting the developed case. The video was integrated into the AFRI-VIPEevent, allowing students to create an accurate mental picture of the case. Students were able to discuss the case aimed at a shared management plan effectively. When developing a multi-cultural VIPE case, we argue that it is imperative to have a dynamic interprofessional committee that collectively created the case and an SP Facilitator/Educator who actively works in training and guiding the SPs within the ASPE's SOBP.