Developing Affective Domain Learning in Health Professions Education

The delivery of effective 21st-century multidisciplinary healthcare requires that clinicians focus on patient needs and concerns and are able to communicate compassionately and appropriately so that patient-practitioner trust is engendered. To develop interpersonal skills among healthcare providers, health professions education programs must build student competencies in the affective domain of learning. This paper seeks to investigate the efficacy of some of the contemporary strategies used to present and assess affective domain learning in health professions education, including the think-pair-share technique, reflective journaling, simulation and role play, motivational interviewing, and structured controversy. Additionally, the role of contemporary technology-based learning platforms as barriers or facilitators of affective learning is discussed. Finally, the utilization of various teaching methodologies in conjunction with pedagogical factors such as instructor approach, student feedback, and judicious course design is considered. Evidence suggests that affective learning competencies are best achieved when teaching practices are designed to improve self-awareness, expose multiple points of view, shape perspective transformation, and emphasize the interpersonal skills needed to master person-centered care.