Illness in Context and Families as Teachers: A Year-Long Project for Medical Students
Abstract
The authors describe a program for second-year students in Tel Aviv University's six-year medical school. The program's aim is to teach students the importance of context and interactions in patient care by exposing them to a real patient-family-doctor interaction using narrative-based methods to encourage reflective learning. Each student meets five times a year with a volunteer family, one of whose members suffers from a chronic disease. The program endorses a "patients as teachers" approach, as families are considered to be teachers for the students and not as objects of investigation and assessment. The students receive supervision in small groups, to enhance learning and reflection. To appraise the extent to which students had obtained the required knowledge, skills, and attitudes, the authors extracted reflections regarding the learning experience from students' essays. Major themes identified were becoming "family sensitive," building and improving communication skills, questioning intrusiveness, adopting a nonpatronizing and nonjudgmental attitude, developing reflective skills, creating a future professional model, and experiencing and appreciating continuity of care. The authors argue that learning to listen to patients' narratives, developing a reflective attitude, and being sensitive to patient-family-doctor interactions are of value to all doctors, and therefore programs similar to theirs should be established as part of general medical school education and not just in the context of family medicine.
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Patient-centredness included the ability to see patient mentors as individuals, the importance of patient autonomy and expertise in care, adopting a non-patronising and non-judgemental attitude, recognising patients' needs and seeing the patient as a capable part of the team.
“Patient-centredness included the ability to see patient mentors as individuals,27 the importance of patient autonomy and expertise in care,64 adopting a non-patronising and non-judgemental attitude,55 recognising patients’ needs41 and seeing the patient as a capable part of the team.41”
From Role of active patient involvement in undergraduate medical education: a systematic review (2020) · cites this paper as [55]
A yearlong student mentor programme gave students an experience in and appreciation of continuity of care.
“A yearlong student mentor programme gave students an experience in and appreciation of continuity of care.55”
From Role of active patient involvement in undergraduate medical education: a systematic review (2020) · cites this paper as [55]
Reflecting on role models some authors referred to broadening understanding of the role of the healthcare provider, qualities of remarkable clinicians that inform personal ideals, creating a future professional model and professional identity.
“Reflecting on role models some authors referred to broadening understanding of the role of the healthcare provider,27 qualities of remarkable clinicians that inform personal ideals,64 creating a future professional model55 and professional identity.71”
From Role of active patient involvement in undergraduate medical education: a systematic review (2020) · cites this paper as [55]
Gaver et al identified the process of establishing commitment among volunteering organisations and families as a key challenge to the sustainability of patient involvement.
“Gaver et al55 identified the process of establishing commitment among volunteering organisations and families as a key challenge to the sustainability of patient involvement.55”
From Role of active patient involvement in undergraduate medical education: a systematic review (2020) · cites this paper as [55]
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- Authors
- Gaver, A., Borkan, J. M., & Weingarten, M. A.
- Affiliations
- Tel Aviv University (IL)
- Corresponding author
- Gaver, Anat
- ORCID
- Borkan, Jeffrey M.
- Venue
- Academic Medicine
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2005-05
- Volume
- 80
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 448-451
- ISSN
- 1040-2446 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2087660972
- Cited by
- 33
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 1.40
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Academic Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Empathy and Medical Education
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Innovations in Medical Education
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare
- Keywords
- narrative-based learning, reflective learning, chronic disease, communication skills, continuity of care, medical students, general medical education, patient narratives
- MeSH terms
- Communication, Education, Medical, Undergraduate, Humans, Israel, Physician-Patient Relations, Narration
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