Transitions curriculum impact on students and care

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Safety
• Health Outcomes

Background:

• Transitions of patient care are high-risk periods prone to medical errors.
• Care transition programs can mitigate adverse events.
• Medical student education in care transitions is under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a novel curriculum on medical student education in care transitions.
• To evaluate student comfort and skill acquisition in managing patient care transitions.
• To determine the effect of student involvement in care transitions on patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A Transitions of Care Curriculum was implemented for internal medicine clerkship students.
• The curriculum combined didactic teaching with experiential learning.
• Student comfort levels and patient data were collected via surveys and chart reviews.

Main Results:

• Students reported statistically significant improvements in comfort with care transition skills (p < 0.001).
• Students identified at least one post-discharge issue in 33 of 70 patients reviewed.
• A total of 76 post-discharge issues were identified across patient charts.

Conclusions:

• The Transitions of Care Curriculum shows promise in enhancing student clinical skills.
• Student participation in care transitions positively impacts patient care by reducing errors.
• This educational model can improve patient safety during critical care transitions.