Rondas de Evaluación Funcional: Integración de la Educación sobre Dispositivos de Asistencia y Equipos Adaptativos en el Currículo de la Facultad de Medicina

Persons with disabilities represent over 20% of the U.S. population, yet medical education lacks standardized disability training. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physicians are well-positioned to address this gap, but very few medical schools require a PM&R clerkship. This study evaluates a targeted educational supplement within the PM&R clerkship to teach fourth year medical students about adaptive equipment and assistive devices. A standardized checklist was created by a multidisciplinary team to lead students in "Functional Assessment Rounds" which included a didactic session, hands-on demonstration, and patient observation. 127 students completed pre- and post-clerkship surveys which assessed perceptions and confidence. Compared to baseline, students reported higher confidence identifying all categories of adaptive equipment, communicating with, and providing care to persons with disability. A targeted educational intervention focused on assistive devices and adaptive equipment can be a valuable addition to the medical school curriculum and can improve medical student confidence in their interactions with persons with disability as well as influence their perceptions on the importance of disability-related education.