An Authentic Poverty Simulation for Health Care Profession Students Using Community Volunteers Experiencing Poverty.

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Sociology of Poverty
• Health Disparities Research

Background:

• Poverty affects over 40 million Americans, leading to adverse health outcomes.
• Health professionals frequently interact with low-income populations.
• Enhancing awareness and empathy towards impoverished individuals is crucial for healthcare providers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel poverty simulation methodology.
• To improve health profession students' empathy and awareness of poverty's impact.
• To leverage authentic experiences for educational purposes.

Main Methods:

• A poverty simulation was designed using community volunteers with current or recent lived experience of poverty.
• Volunteers served as resource workers within the simulation.
• This approach aimed to provide a realistic and authentic learning environment for students.

Main Results:

• Key lessons learned include the importance of volunteer orientation and consistent recruitment.
• Volunteer appreciation, role ownership, and incentives were identified as critical factors.
• The simulation effectively highlighted the complexities faced by individuals in poverty.

Conclusions:

• This simulation model is an effective strategy for initial awareness and empathy building among health profession students.
• Incorporating community volunteers with personal experience significantly enhances the simulation's realism.
• The approach fosters a deeper understanding of poverty's health implications.