Involving patients and their carers in educating and training practitioners

We summarize and discuss recent work that highlights the role of patients and carers in educating practitioners in the light of earlier findings.

In today's National Health Services in the UK, a changing value base is emerging based on the participation of practitioners, patients and carers, with each group contributing to the education and training of healthcare professionals. The role of patients and carers in education is changing as the value of their experience and expertise is acknowledged. Now professionals are more actively recognizing that service users can contribute usefully to teaching in more unique ways, as 'experts' in their illness. They bring different perspectives and ways of thinking that can instill a new dimension to delivering healthcare services and training. Their expertise is defined by experience, and this different perspective gives them a unique role in teaching. They represent a potential teaching resource for medical education that is grossly underutilized.

Patients and carers are experts in their particular circumstances and blending their expertise with that of professionals is likely to contribute to the best outcome in a particular situation. They are a valuable resource as potential teachers at all stages of medical education.