Shining the spotlight on lived experience: study exploring the value of forum theatre in medical education

A forum theatre-based intervention was delivered to medical students undertaking their psychiatry rotation. A professionally written and acted play titled Revolving Door was adapted for undergraduate education to illuminate the lived experience of a young man with psychosis and his family. A mixed-methods evaluation, comprising a post-intervention survey and focus group, was undertaken to assess to what extent forum theatre can support medical student learning and to identify the aspects that contribute to its pedagogical value.

Quantitative and qualitative data revealed that forum theatre is an effective pedagogical method that helps medical students to improve their intellectual understanding of a condition or clinical skill and gain insight into the lived experience of patients, empowering them to make meaningful change as future clinicians.

The study highlights an innovative intervention that champions transformative learning, an aspect that is often overlooked in traditional medical education.