Evaluating Student Attitudes: Perceptions of Interprofessional Experiences Following Participation in a Student-Run Free Clinic

Abstract

It is increasingly evident that patient health outcomes are improved when they are treated by an effective interdisciplinary healthcare team. Many also endorse that learning to function collaboratively in interdisciplinary settings should start at the onset of one’s medical education. Student-run free clinics, such as the University of Central Florida College of Medicine’s (UCF COM) KNIGHTS (Keeping Neighbors In Good Health Through Service) Clinic, provide opportunities for students to work in concert with other healthcare professionals. This study aimed to discern whether volunteering in this setting had a positive impact on medical students’ perception of working within an interdisciplinary team. A single survey was distributed via Qualtrics to all first and second-year medical students (N = 248) at the UCF COM. The items of interest examined in this study were part of a larger study described elsewhere. The mean responses on a 5-point Likert-like scale to these survey items were recorded and compared between two cohorts: KNIGHTS volunteers and non-volunteers. One hundred twenty-three (49.6%) students responded to the survey and most items showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p-value > 0.05). However, there were a few items of interest that did show a significant difference. These included KNIGHTS volunteers being much more likely to have worked with other healthcare professionals (p < 0.001) as well as believing themselves to have a better understanding of the role of medicine within an interprofessional team (p = 0.016). Additionally, KNIGHTS volunteers were more likely to feel like they understood the role of patient education (p = 0.031) and pharmacy (p = 0.040) within an interprofessional team. Interestingly, KNIGHTS volunteers were also more likely to believe that problem-solving skills should be learned with students within their own discipline (p = 0.009) as well as that there is little overlap between the roles of medical students and students from other healthcare disciplines (p = 0.044). Still, overall results showed that both volunteers and non-volunteers had an overall positive perception of interdisciplinary teams and working with other healthcare professionals.

The Utility of EMRs in Student Run Clinics

“…In multiple settings across the country SRFCs have been shown to be important in preparing medical students for their clinical years . Our study further supports the integration of student‐run clinics into the curriculum of medical schools: we demonstrate that students can hone skills and improve their comfort levels in medical interviewing, which sets them up for success during the clinical years.…”

“…In multiple settings across the country SRFCs have been shown to be important in preparing medical students for their clinical years. 1,3,4 Our study further supports the integration of student-run clinics into the curriculum of medical schools: we demonstrate that students can hone skills and improve their comfort levels in medical interviewing, which sets them up for success during the clinical years. Although many schools … our study suggests a relatively novel and understudied role of SRFCs, in that they can provide early access to navigating an EMR accomplish early patient exposure with standardised patients, there is no substitute for interviewing real patients, and SRFCs provide pre-clinical students with a unique opportunity to do so.…”

“…In a national survey from 2014, 75.2% of US medical schools have at least one SRFC, with nearly 37 000 patient visits to these clinics annually . Many studies have shown the diverse educational benefits that volunteering at SRFCs offers to participating medical students …”

“…2 Many studies have shown the diverse educational benefits that volunteering at SRFCs offers to participating medical students. [3][4][5] There is little information, however, commenting on the utility of integrating electronic medical records (EMRs) into the experience. In the electronic era, written communication and medical documentation into an EMR encompasses a critical component of a successful health care system.…”

Establishing a student-run free clinic in a major city in Northern Europe: a 1-year experience from Hamburg, Germany

“… 21–24 Moreover, the students have a better understanding of their role within an interprofessional team with students from other healthcare disciplines and they learn how to lead and organize a team as they take on leadership roles and individual responsibilities for incoming patients. 25 , 26 …”