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Integration of persons with HIV in a problem-based tutorial: a qualitative study
Patricia Solomon1, Dale Guenter, Penny Salvatori
1School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, IAHS, 1400 Main Street W, Room 403, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. solomon@mcmaster.ca
Background:
This qualitative study examined the effect of using persons with HIV-AIDS (PHAs) as facilitators of learning in an interdisciplinary problem-based learning curriculum.
Description:
Ten students representing 5 professions (medicine, occupational therapy, physical therapy, nursing, and social work) volunteered to participate in an 8-week course on rehabilitation issues in HIV. Two tutorial groups met weekly to discuss problems with the assistance of a faculty tutor and a PHA. Students completed a weekly journal outlining their experiences. At completion of the course, students participated in semistructured interviews. A qualitative analysis of the transcribed interviews and the journals was undertaken.
Evaluation:
The PHA provided a unique perspective on living with HIV, acted as a resource, and challenged the students' values and assumptions. The presence of the PHA also presented challenges in that the students worried their comments might offend them.
Conclusions:
PHAs contributed significantly to students' learning and can be successfully incorporated into problem-based tutorials.
