What Community Members With Chronic Illness Teach Future Healthcare Professionals in a Longitudinal Interprofessional...

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Education
• Patient-Centred Care

Background:

• Chronic illnesses affect nearly 50% of Americans, necessitating improved healthcare provider training.
• Interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) and person-centred care are crucial for managing chronic conditions.
• Community-based interprofessional education (IPE) involving patients as teachers can foster patient-centredness in students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the educational content provided by community members with chronic conditions to future healthcare professionals.
• To understand what health mentors teach about chronic conditions, disabilities, healthcare access, and quality within an IPE program.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-eight health mentors participated in focus groups and completed surveys.
• Directed content analysis was employed, informed by prior research, program theory, and core competencies in IPCP and disability.

Main Results:

• Identified healthcare access barriers: environmental factors, insurance, cost, and time.
• Key themes regarding chronic conditions and healthcare quality: patient journey education, communication, person-centred care, team collaboration, advocacy, empathy, provider impact, and shared decision-making.

Conclusions:

• Patient-delivered lessons in IPE are particularly impactful, aligning with partial program theories.
• Findings support role theory, indicating health mentors can effectively impart crucial lessons in semi-structured, student-led settings.