Learning From Patients: Why Continuity Matters.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Learning Environments
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• Patient continuity is recognized as a valuable component of comprehensive patient care.
• Opportunities for medical students to engage in patient continuity may enhance their learning experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how medical students perceive and experience patient continuity.
• To identify the learning outcomes derived from student engagement in patient continuity.

Main Methods:

• An interpretive phenomenological approach was employed.
• Seventeen fourth-year medical students were interviewed after a longitudinal clinical placement.
• Interview transcripts were analyzed using iterative coding and thematic development.

Main Results:

• Students identified three forms of patient continuity: continuity of care (relational), geographical continuity, and continuity through challenging cases.
• Relational continuity fostered trusting patient-student relationships.
• Geographical continuity facilitated information access, diagnostic closure, and decision reevaluation.
• Challenging patient experiences promoted iterative and deep critical reflection, influencing future practice intentions.

Conclusions:

• Patient continuity in medical education extends beyond direct patient interaction.
• Experiencing challenging patient cases and unexpected outcomes are key triggers for critical reflection and deep learning in students.