A Checklist for Involving Patients in Educational Activities

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Engagement
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Healthcare educators increasingly recognize the value of integrating patient partners into educational activities.
• A need exists for practical guidelines to support educators, particularly those new to patient involvement.
• Patient partners report insufficient information to effectively prepare for their teaching roles and understand expectations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a practical checklist for facilitating effective collaboration between health professions educators and patient partners.
• To provide clear guidance for both instructors and patient partners before, during, and after educational sessions.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative approach was used, involving patient partners in the development process.
• A parallel checklist was created, with distinct sections for instructors and patient partners.
• The checklist was structured into four parts, addressing actions for before, during, and after educational activities.

Main Results:

• The checklist was successfully implemented across various health professions at two institutions.
• Patient partners and instructors found the checklist to be a valuable resource.
• The tool serves as a reminder for instructors and empowers patients to seek necessary information.

Conclusions:

• The developed checklist offers a concise and adaptable framework for enhancing patient-involved education in health professions.
• It improves preparedness and clarifies roles for both educators and patient partners.
• The checklist can be customized for diverse educational settings and contexts.