Teaching About Partnerships Between Patients and the Team: Exploring Student Perceptions

Abstract

Health profession educators are responding to shifting approaches where patients are increasingly recognized as partners in an interprofessional care process. To foster competencies related to partnerships between patients and the team, educators have advanced the role of patient partners; however, an appreciation of resulting student learning is in its early stages. First-year students from 9 programs interacted with patient partners and participated in a Reader’s Theater that explored partnerships with patients in an interprofessional team. Students completed reflective assignments; an inductive thematic analysis explored student learning. The following 4 overarching themes were recognized: developing insights through patient perspective, promoting partnerships with patients, recognizing attitudes that promote therapeutic relationships, and advocating for the patient to be a team member. Accompanying subthemes provide enhancement of each of the identified themes. Students discussed the effect of poor collaboration, identified attitudes that promote collaboration, and expressed the value of advocacy for patient partnership. An enriched appreciation of student learning will guide educator engagement of patient partners in both health professional and interprofessional curricula.

Exploring how differently patients and clinical tutors see the same consultation: building evidence for inclusion of real patient feedback in medical education

“…Our study has shown that different perspectives provide different but important information about student patient-centred performance. While this is not unexpected, these findings contribute to an appreciation of how patients may impact on students’ insights of their consultation approach and what is expected in partnerships [ 27 ]. Moonen-van Loon et al’s [ 28 ] investigation of reliability of multi-source feedback in junior doctor training recommends further research to investigate which competencies are best assessed by patients to allow for successful implementation in competency-based assessment.…”

“…This concept we argue, should incorporate patient involvement with provision of feedback given our patient partners show which person-centred practice qualities they can specifically offer a unique perspective. The assessments made by patient partners in this study shows their ratings of respect, concern and communication provides feedback about qualities that are oriented towards others and promote relationships, which is core to person-centred care and partnerships [ 27 ]. Ideally, the curriculum environment for effective feedback is a dialogic one with different kinds of interactions and actors [ 8 ], so providing the opportunity within patient-student learning contexts for multi-source feedback which includes both senior clinicians and patients collaboratively, will assist students in interpreting the feedback information and discern what is required to improve.…”

How to maximise asynchronous video resources that have been co‐produced with patient partners

“…5 Langlois suggests that disorientating dilemmas, such as the interactions between patients' lived experiences and students' perceptions, can stimulate the reformation of students' assumptions and perspectives. 4 Providing students with videos of patient partners that have been co-produced by people with lived and living experiences may also complement the students' direct interactions with patients. Additionally, when scaffolded appropriately, videos of patient partners and simulations using videos increase students' empathy for the individuals portrayed in the video or simulation to see the person behind the clinical case.…”

“…Patient partner video resources may contribute to health professional students developing skills in patient‐centred care. Langlois and colleagues 4 explored patient‐centred partnership between patients, students and the healthcare team, through the lens of transformative learning theory 5 . Langlois suggests that disorientating dilemmas, such as the interactions between patients' lived experiences and students' perceptions, can stimulate the reformation of students' assumptions and perspectives 4 .…”

“…Langlois and colleagues 4 explored patient‐centred partnership between patients, students and the healthcare team, through the lens of transformative learning theory 5 . Langlois suggests that disorientating dilemmas, such as the interactions between patients' lived experiences and students' perceptions, can stimulate the reformation of students' assumptions and perspectives 4 . Providing students with videos of patient partners that have been co‐produced by people with lived and living experiences may also complement the students' direct interactions with patients.…”