Persons with Refugee Experience Education Project - Interprofessional

The PREP IP project was designed to respond to the need for competent rehabilitation professionals practicing in health and social care by creating interprofessional learning opportunities to improve their capabilities to better meet the unique health needs of refugees. Refugee health is not always part of entry level health education programs. Experts in the field feel isolated and not supported. Complex needs of refugees require complex interprofessional responses. In the project period from 2021 to 2024, the number of forcefully displaced people grew from 84 million to 122 million in 2024 globally, requiring even more competent professionals and highlighting the need for learning opportunities, partnerships, as well as open educational resources (OERs) that are inclusive, available, and accessible to health professionals when and where they need them. Online learning provides an opportunity to reach more professionals while transforming the curricula to be more inclusive of refugee experiences and maximizing the use of digital technologies. The project responded to the need to build a transnational and transdisciplinary partnership and its capacity to provide flexible learning opportunities in refugee health.

The PREP IP project was situated on the intersection of the inclusion of refugee health within education and training program and digital transformation at participating organizations and a broader network of stakeholders. The project had four objectives to: 1. Develop a transnational and transdisciplinary network of partners working in the field of refugee rehabilitation and health by building on good practices 2. Provide an open online training opportunity for an interprofessional group of rehabilitation professionals 3. Develop open educational resources focusing on rehabilitation, health and well-being of persons with refugee experience 4. Document experiences and practices of development of a partnership for inclusion. Ultimately, these have contributed to improving health and well-being of refugees as well as to their inclusion, and social cohesion and community diversity.

In order to achieve the project objectives, a series of interrelated activities grouped into four work packages (WPs) were implemented: WP1. Interprofessional framework for online education of health professionals working with refugees included three types of activities related to: 1. capturing good practices of partners in implementation of refugee focused projects funded by Erasmus+ and other funding agencies to be utilized in this project. It was the first step in building the partnership and setting the stage for other activities 2. mapping out the literature on use of micro-credentials for online interprofessional education in order to explore feasibility of introducing micro-credentials for the course that will be developed in this project. Micro-credentialing is a new area of interest for higher education institutions as they explore their role in life-long learning and better matching competences of their graduates with the market needs 3. developing interprofessional framework for online education of health professionals working with refugees WP2. Open online course: Interprofessional approach to refugee health included the following activities: 1.designing and developing of the open online PREP IP course curriculum (identification of course outcomes, learning resources and activities, assessments; building the course in the learning management system) 2. piloting the open online PREP IP course (recruitment of learners, facilitation of the course) 3. reviewing and revising the course (learners' and facilitators' evaluation) 4. implementing the revised course WP3. Open educational resources Activities in this work package include preparation of OERs 1. an open book and 2. photovoice exhibition. WP4. Case Study: Partnership for inclusion Activities in this WP4 included actively documenting experiences of building a partnership within this project to ensure inclusion of refugee health within higher education.

The following are project outputs and results available on the project website https://prosjekt.hvl.no/prep/resources/ and the EU Results Portal: WP1 Interprofessional framework 1.1 A guide on partners’ good practices and lessons learned in implementation of projects with refugees. Responsible partner: CMH Huseyin Emlik, Djenana Jalovcic, Maria Nordheim Alme, Aleksander Bergli, Britta Tetzlaff (2022). "Persons with Refugee Experiences Education Project – Interprofessional (PREP IP): Building on Partners’ Experiences: Lessons Learned and Good Practices." Guide on partners’ good practices and lessons learned in projects to build on previous reports on the analysis of experiences that the PREP IP project partners have gained in projects from 2013 – 2019. 15 projects related to working with refugees or migrants have been described. Of these 6 projects had an occupational therapy perspective, 3 projects had a physiotherapeutic perspective, and 6 projects were described as interprofessional. Most of the projects were focusing on education, while some were also directed to health care service. The projects were diverse, and all of them reported on benefit for various groups of stakeholders, or user groups, and a general experience is that such projects have the possibility to make a change. For proper implementation, four key aspects should be paid attention to. These are; user involvement, building partnerships, management and sustainability. Type: Scientific results (paper, study, report, analysis) 1.2 Report on use of micro-credentials for online IP education in the form of an information document for higher education institutions. Responsible partners: TCD/HVL Emer McGowan, Sarah Quinn, Montse Romero Mas, Joost Van Wijchen, Hanneke Van den Harr, Djenana Jalovcic (2022). "Use of micro-credentials for interprofessional online education and training of health workers: A scoping review." A literature review on the use of micro-creden2tials for interprofessional online education used the scoping review methodology to map out literature about micro-credentials in higher education with the primary focus on health and social care professions both in entry-level education and continuing professional development. Literature published between 2010 and 2022 was covered in the review including peer-reviewed articles, key reports, and relevant websites. The data base searches returned 317 articles and 50 articles of grey literature out of which16 peer reviewed articles and one grey literature report were included in this scoping review. This scoping review has demonstrated the lack of published research on the design, development and evaluation of micro-credentials for health and social care professionals. However, some useful implications can be drawn from the available literature to inform the development of the online, interprofessional courses. Type: Scientific results (paper, study, report, analysis) 1.3 Interprofessional framework for online education of health workers working with refugees including provision of information on methodology, sources used, and the IP framework itself). Responsible partners: HVL/IDA Esra Alagoz, Merethe Hustoft, Michel Landry, Mohammad Ali Farhat & Djenana Jalovcic (2022/2024). "Interprofessional Framework for Action on Online Education of Health Professionals Working with Refugees." The main purpose of this document is the development of an interprofessional framework which, provides an understanding of how to create content relevant for the interprofessional education of health professionals working with refugees, and develops guidance on how to convey the framework to learners using digital learning strategies. The PREP IP framework was developed using mixed methods that combined literature review (including research evidence, interprofessional competency frameworks, competency-based learning, and online learning), a series of online workshops with partners, and a modified and feasible online nominal group to build the consensus of the framework. The 4-Domain Competency Model was developed. Elevating individual narratives in the design and planning for services, Optimizing intersectoral collaborative rehabilitation team performance, Enhancing evidence-informed refugee-centric care pathways, and Enriching holistic resource alignment in the context of refugee. Type: Learning programme, curriculum, methodology WP2: Open online course An open online course "Interprofessional Approach to Refugee Health" (IPARH) online course, Project Result 2 (PR2) was developed Developed using the Agile Curriculum Development methodology and implemented two times in 2023, combining synchronous and asynchronous learning, emphasizing human rights-based approaches, a critical diversity and intersectionality perspective, social and occupational justice, and trauma-informed teaching. The course addresses the need for flexible learning opportunities in refugee health, identified by health and rehabilitation professionals. Currently, the course is offered as a self-paced course with registration at https://tinyurl.com/2s3b58en. The course is available for download by educators at Canvas Commons. For those without access to Canvas, an open course e-book was available. This book includes materials and activities downloaded from the course learning management system and edited to serve as a resource for educators and practitioners interested in refugee health who do not have access to Canvas Commons where the course is shared under Creative Commons license Attribution- Non-Commercial - Share Alike (CC BY-NC-SA). This book is also licensed under CC BY-NC-SA allowing users to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms. A series of sub-results contributed to the achievement of the final results (listed above) also included Feedback by participants in the Pilot. Responsible partners: HAWK/UVic/HVL; Pilot course review and revision recommendations based on surveys of participants in each course and facilitators' reflections. Responsible partner: IDA; - Interprofessional Approach to Refugee Health – open online course available in Canvas Commons under CC BY-NC-SA with a note to facilitators on how to use this OER. Responsible partner: HVL - Interprofessional Approach to Refugee Health – open online course available in the form of open course e-book and downloadable from the course webpage https://tinyurl.com/55ndu489 - Interprofessional Approach to Refugee Health – open online self-paced course opened for learners in fall 2024 and spring 2025 - Interprofessional Approach to Refugee Health – open online course (10 week version, spring 2023) - Interprofessional Approach to Refugee Health – open online course (6 week version, autumn 2023) Report on Online Course "Interprofessional approach to refuge health" with information on content and design of the course (as far as it is relevant for learners and institutions working with the module) together with recommendations on use/implementation. The report was prepared by Djenana Jalovcic in collaboration with Sandra Schiller and Sarah Quinn. Type: E-learning module, online training, MOOC WP3 Open educational resources Emer McGowan, Sarah Quinn, Djenana Jalovcic (2024). Open book – Interprofessional Approach to Refugee Health: A practical guide for interdisciplinary health and social care teams. While single discipline resources relating to work with refugees exist, an online OERs for professionals across disciplines is needed to provide guidance on appropriate, comprehensive, and client-centred health services for this population. To meet the unique and complex needs of refugees as holistically as possible, it is vital that the varied professionals working in healthcare have a collective understanding of the refugees’ narratives, needs and wants. In order to increase access and availability of relevant resources about refugees including their authentic voices the project has produced two OERs: Open Book and online photovoice exhibition. Both OERs aim to inform and guide interprofessional health workers in their engagement with refugees. The open book is currently under peer review by the Open Book Publishers and it is expected that the book will be published in 2025. This is in addition to the open course e-book available on our website. Report on open book that is currently under review by Open Book Publishers and coming soon (e.g. rationale behind this resource, development process, approach). Responsible partners: TCD Type: Other (open book) 12. Photovoice digital exhibition: Through Our Eyes: Stories in Exile available at https://prosjekt.hvl.no/prep/through-our-eyes-stories-in-exile/ PREP IP organized a digital photovoice exhibition titled “Through Our Eyes: Stories in Exile” available on our website https://prosjekt.hvl.no/prep/2024/12/19/through-our-eyes-stories-in-exile/ . This exhibition is based on photovoice studies conducted in Germany, Ireland, Norway, and Spain, documenting the experiences of displacement for individuals who have settled in these countries. The exhibition aims to provide insights into the lives of refugees, elevate their narratives in order to influence perceptions and attitudes towards them. Photovoice is a participatory action research method that empowers marginalized individuals, such as refugees, to use photographs or videos to represent their environment and experiences. Participants express their thoughts and feelings through accompanying narratives. Type Scientific results (paper, study, report, analysis). Please note that the exhibition is classified as a scientific result becuse it is the result of using a scientific research method of phtovoice to generate it. In addition to the photovoice exhibition the Summary report on photovoice in Germany, Ireland, Norway and Spain prepared by Djenana Jalovcic based on country reports Photovoice Country Reports: - Huseyin Emlik, Rolf Vårdal, Egil Kaberuka-Nielsen, Djenana Jalovcic (2024). Life is in motion, nothing is fixed: Photovoices of persons with refugee experience living in Norway – Project report. - Sarah Quinn (2024). Your Photo, Your Voice: Irish leg of the PREP-IP photovoice study. - Kathrin Weiß, Franziska Grünberg-Lemli, Pauline Kuhn, Sandra Schiller (2024). Report on the Photovoice Project “Life in Germany“ on the Situation of Persons with Refugee Experience. Participation in a New Society – A Long and Difficult Climb. - Salvador Simó (2024). Refugees: A view from photo-voice. WP4: Cases Study: Partnership for Inclusion The case study provides reflection on the cooperation process, the methodologies used during the various project phases, their results and impact, and share feedback gathered from various participants. It documents the rationale behind the specific approach, the way the consortium of partners proceeded in establishing their partnership, producing results that are relevant to individual professionals and organizations interested in building future partnerships for inclusion. It aims to provide an example for future partnerships for inclusion based on interprofessional collaboration of health care personnel in rehabilitation and cooperation with social care services, refugee organizations and local communities to contribute to the health and well-being of refugees and to their social recognition. Another aspect of PREP-IP captured in the case study is related to the impact of the participation in the partnership project on the awareness of students, faculty and practicing professionals. The case study. Responsible partner: HAWK Sandra Schiller. Case Study – Interprofessional Approach to Refugee Health: Establishing a Partnership for Inclusion Summary report on Case study prepared by Djenana Jalovcic based on S. Schiller's Case Study.