Introducing Medical Students into the Emergency Department: The Impact upon Patient Satisfaction

Interprofessional student-led clinics: the volunteer patient experience

BACKGROUND

Learning from patients and gaining an understanding of their lived experience plays an important role in improving health professions education. However, opportunities for students to engage in interprofessional learning activities involving patients as partners remain limited. In 2018, we developed an interprofessional student-led clinic where people living with Parkinson's Disease voluntarily participated as 'patient-partners'. The aim of this pilot study was to explore patients' experience and motivation for participation.

METHODS

In 2018 the clinic was implemented five times. Four patient volunteers and six to eight students from a mix of disciplines attended each clinic. Qualitative data were collected via semi-structured focus groups with patients. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Eleven patients participated in the focus groups. Patients found the interprofessional nature of the clinic beneficial to their health goals. Their interactions with students from different disciplines helped to build their healthcare knowledge and confidence to ask additional questions of health professionals. Patients felt they offered unique perspectives to students of their own lived experiences. They found sharing their stories with students and each other built a sense of community.

CONCLUSION

Patients felt they enriched the learning environment, helping students to build their knowledge and skills by providing authentic patient perspectives. The interprofessional aspect enhanced the patient experience in a number of ways. Patients found the multiple perspectives of healthcare helped them to build their own knowledge, and reflect on their changing needs. Warranting further investigation, our findings indicate that participation in the clinics may have positively influenced patients' health seeking behaviours.

Patients as teachers: Evaluating the experiences of volunteer inpatients during medical student clinical skills training

PURPOSE

Early patient encounters in medical education are an important element of clinical skill development. This study explores the experiences of volunteer inpatients (VIPs) participating in clinical skills training with junior medical students (JMS) solely for educational purposes.

METHODS

Following first-year medical students practicing history taking and clinical examinations with VIPs at Toronto General Hospital (TGH) and Toronto Western Hospital (TWH), patients completed a questionnaire and a short audio-recorded interview. This study used a mixed methodological approach. A 5-point Likert-scaled survey queried satisfaction regarding the recruitment process, student and faculty interactions and patient demographics (e.g. age and educational background). A 10-minute follow-up interview investigated patient perspectives. Survey responses were correlated to patient demographics and descriptive thematic analysis summarized trends in patient perspectives.

RESULTS

Of 93 consenting VIPs, 66% were male and 58% participated at TGH. The mean overall experience was positive (4.76 and 4.93 at TGH and TWH, respectively). Three themes emerging through thematic analysis were Not "Just" a Medical Student, Patient as Teacher, and Promoting Best Practices. VIPs reported positive experiences when they were adequately informed of the VIP role during recruitment, and when students exhibited confidence, interest, and respect throughout the session.

CONCLUSION

Study results provide clarity about VIP experiences with JMS and lay a foundation for improved patient satisfaction and best practices within clinical skills curricula in the health professions.

Medical students and metrics: seven techniques for a win-win situation

Background

The authors present seven winning strategies for maintaining a rich academic environment for learners while working in a busy emergency department with expected productivity metrics.

Methods

This is a descriptive paper based on existing literature and on the authors’ experience.

Results

Winning strategies to improve ED throughput while also supporting the mission of medical education and improving the learning environment for students include the following: (1) attending first, (2) provider in triage, (3) mobile workstations, (4) patient education, (5) bedside patient presentations, (6) dedicated teaching resident, and (7) thoughtful scheduling.

Conclusions

The authors present seven practical strategies that are portable to many settings.