Patient Engagement in Medical Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Critical Reflection on an Epistemic Challenge

Abstract

Epistemic injustices are defined as inequalities of power in the access, recognition and production of knowledge. Their persistence in medical education, especially to the detriment of patients and their specific knowledge, has been documented by several authors. Patient engagement is a new paradigm that involves fostering meaningful patient collaboration at different levels of the healthcare system. Since it is fundamentally based on the recognition of the value and relevance of patients' experiential knowledge, patient engagement in medical education is generally recognized as a desirable strategy to address epistemic injustices in the field. Patient engagement is challenged in the context of COVID-19 where most Canadian medical schools have had to modify their teaching models in a short period of time, stop in-person classes and redirect most activities online. This article presents a critical reflection on the issues raised by COVID-constrained teaching strategies and their impact on epistemic injustices in medical education. It also suggests strategies to favour epistemic justice in medical education despite the pandemic turmoil and online shift. It therefore adds an epistemological perspective to the reflection on the effects of the pandemic on medical education and training, which has been little discussed so far.