Community-engaged primary care medical education

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Community Health
• Public Health Initiatives

Background:

• Community-Engaged Medical Education (CEME) involves partnerships between medical schools and communities to address local health priorities and enhance student learning.
• Existing research on CEME primarily evaluates student outcomes, with limited exploration of its sustainable impact on communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the sustainable impact of community-engaged medical education initiatives on local communities.
• To assess the effectiveness of the Community Action Project (CAP) in fostering community engagement and achieving sustainable health benefits.

Main Methods:

• Evaluation of 264 Community Action Projects (CAPs) completed by Year 3 medical students at Imperial College London between 2019-2021.
• Assessment of projects for evidence of community engagement, needs analysis, patient involvement, and sustainable impacts.
• Analysis of common project topics and formats, with detailed case studies of two projects.

Main Results:

• 91% of CAPs included a needs analysis, and 71% involved patients in their development.
• 64% of the evaluated projects demonstrated sustainable impacts on the community.
• Analysis identified frequently addressed health topics and project formats utilized by students.

Conclusions:

• The Community Action Project (CAP) model effectively demonstrates how CEME principles can yield sustainable community benefits through collaboration.
• Meaningful community engagement and social accountability are key to CEME's success in creating lasting positive change.
• The study highlights the potential for CEME to contribute to both medical student education and community well-being.