Medical Education: Patients’ Perspectives on Clinical Training and Informed Consent

Patient Perceptions of Medical Students' Involvement in Clinical Classes: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Introduction

A crucial aspect of the education of prospective medical professionals is their interaction with patients. The study aimed to explore patients' perspectives on the interaction between medical students and themselves. It sought to understand how patients perceive this dynamic within clinical classes. The goal was to gather insights into the most favorable behavior and demeanor of medical students during these sessions, with the overarching objective of enhancing patient comfort.

Material and Methods

The authors collected a total of 403 surveys from patients of a teaching hospital, regarding their perception of students as healthcare providers. The participants ranged in age from 18 to 92. 53.83% of the participants were female, and 46.17% were male. The surveys were collected between April 8th, 2022, and August 10th, 2022. The results of the anonymous survey undergone statistical analyses using the Mann‒Whitney U-test for comparing two groups and the Kruskal‒Wallis test for comparing more than two groups, because the Shapiro‒Wilk test indicated that the data did not follow a normal distribution.

Results

The study delved into patients' assessments of students' external presentation, adherence to behavioral norms, empathetic qualities, consideration during intimate examinations, and preferences for the organization of clinical classes. Our research indicates notable differences in responses based on age. Specifically, the senior demographic prioritizes students' external presentation, communication and the utilization of courteous language more often than younger individuals (p<0.05). Attendees exhibit varying levels of interest in participating in educational sessions with students based on the ward. Significantly, individuals in the gynecology ward display the least enthusiasm for engagement (p<0.05). Notably, the majority of patients perceive their involvement in the education of future healthcare professionals to be essential (83.38%).

Conclusion

The study found that generally, patients voluntarily engage in educational classes with students. The relationship between patients and students is amicable, and the majority of students display a respectful demeanor toward patients. Nonetheless, preserving patient confidentiality and ensuring the proper management of classes remain persistent issues. This is particularly crucial, especially when the clinical classes pertain to intimate and personal health matters of a patient. Upholding and enriching the organization of such sessions, along with the attentiveness and knowledge of medical students regarding patient comfort, assumes heightened significance.

Importance of Incorporating the Perspectives of People with Cancer into Oncology Education: A Scoping Review

Background

With the shift towards person-centered care (PCC) in oncology, there is a need for parallel evolution of oncology education programs to prepare the next generation of health professionals to deliver effective PCC. These programs should be designed utilizing perspectives from individuals who have lived experience with cancer to ensure that changes to education curricula translate to improved PCC in the clinic.

Objectives

Our goal was to identify existing literature describing such programs as well as identify gaps for further development.

Methods

Keywords were agreed upon and searched across Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, ERIC, Google Scholar, and MedEdPORTAL databases. Duplicates were removed, unique articles were screened for relevance by title and abstract, and a full text review of each article was completed for validation. Included articles describe methods for involving people with cancer in developing and/or delivering oncology-focused education programs.

Results

In total, 15 articles describing 12 unique oncology education programs from 7 different countries were identified, reviewed, and summarized. These programs involved learners undertaking undergraduate medical education, postgraduate medical education, continuing medical education, or training as nurses or radiation therapists. Current literature indicates that classroom-based sessions, experiential or simulated learning modalities, and/or asynchronous online modules can all feasibly be created with the integration of perspectives/narratives of people with cancer. Furthermore, involving people with cancer directly in the design and/or delivery of these education programs may contribute to improved patient experiences.

Conclusions

Including the perspectives of people with cancer directly in oncology curriculum development and delivery can improve established pedagogical approaches and enhance learner confidence and competency in delivering PCC. We provide recommendations for stepwise implementation of patient perspectives into oncology education, with the hope that future programs will better prepare and motivate learners to provide PCC aimed at improving cancer care, quality of life, and disease outcomes.