Improving Health Equity Training with an Integrated Simulation-Based Curriculum.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Equity Research
• Emergency Medicine Training

Background:

• Socioeconomic and environmental factors significantly impact health outcomes.
• Health equity remains underemphasized in US medical schools despite recommendations for cultural competency.
• Emergency Medicine clerkships offer a unique setting to address health equity due to diverse patient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To integrate a health equity curriculum into Emergency Medicine clerkship simulations.
• To evaluate the impact of this curriculum on medical students' ability to address patient diversity.
• To assess student reception and perceived relevance of the health equity training.

Main Methods:

• A health equity curriculum was incorporated into clerkship simulations.
• Student performance was evaluated using the AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) scale (1-4).
• Pre- and post-implementation simulation scores were compared using t-tests, and students were surveyed.

Main Results:

• Post-implementation mean EPA scores significantly improved from 2.5 to 3.3 (p<0.01).
• End-of-rotation scores showed significant improvement post-curriculum implementation (p<0.01).
• High student agreement (83.7%-89.8%) indicated the curriculum built knowledge, improved skills, and was relevant to future practice.

Conclusions:

• Integrating a health equity curriculum into EM clerkship simulations is feasible and impactful.
• The curriculum demonstrably improved EPA scores, indicating enhanced student preparedness.
• The training is well-received by students and equips them with tools for real-world patient care, potentially improving the physician-patient experience.