Student Perceptions of Integrating Health Humanities in Interprofessional Education Simulation

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Humanities
• Simulation-Based Learning

Background:

• Traditional health humanities curricula may lack experiential learning components.
• Integrating diverse perspectives into healthcare education is crucial for holistic patient care.
• Simulation offers a unique platform for exploring patient-family dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a novel healthcare simulation role on health humanities students.
• To explore student perceptions of empathy, cultural responsiveness, and social determinants of health.
• To assess the feasibility of using patient-family simulations in health humanities education.

Main Methods:

• Health humanities students assumed the role of a patient's adult child in a healthcare simulation.
• Student experiences were documented through written reflections.
• Reflections were qualitatively analyzed to identify dominant themes.

Main Results:

• Key themes included reduced anxiety, enhanced understanding of healthcare roles, and appreciation for culturally responsive communication.
• Students recognized the importance of inclusivity and social determinants of health.
• Participants reported overwhelmingly positive experiences with the simulation.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare simulation is a valuable tool for health humanities education.
• This approach can foster empathy, cultural competence, and a broader understanding of patient contexts.
• Simulation effectively prepares students for complex healthcare narratives and interprofessional dynamics.