Experiences and motivations of community volunteers engaging with a longitudinal experiential interprofessional education program

This mixed-methods study investigated the motivations and experiences of Health Mentors (HMs), community volunteers with chronic health conditions who participated in the Health Mentors Program at Thomas Jefferson University (HMP). During the 18-month three-module program, HMs work with interprofessional teams of healthcare students as they learn about teaming principles and experiences of patients living with chronic conditions. 73 HMs whose time volunteering for HMP ranged from 1 to 15 years completed a survey following module 2 in the Spring of 2020. The survey consisted of quantitative and qualitative questions regarding why they participate, their experiences with the program, and its impacts on them—if any. Directed content analysis was conducted on open-ended responses. Results from a mixed-method triangulation analysis indicated that when responding through a quantitative Likert scale, most HMs reported no changes to their health as a result of participating in HMP. However, through open-ended responses, approximately half of HMs shared that participating in HMP resulted in new or reinforced current understanding of their health or their ability to improve it. Reasons for volunteering for the program included: to support student learning, for their own enjoyment, and to benefit future patients. This study contributes to our understanding of HMs’ motivations for engaging with interprofessional education, which can inform the recruitment and retention of community volunteers for sustainability and design improvement of IPE programs.