Takeaway
To ensure the next generation of healthcare professionals is outstanding, clinicians need to role model clinical excellence. Asking open-ended questions and listening to patient concerns are two ways to demonstrate patient-centered care.
Lifelong Learning in Clinical Excellence | August 5, 2024 | 2 min read
By Isabel Friedenberg, medical student, Lewis Katz School of Medicine & Dharmini Shah Pandya, MD, Temple University Health System
Medical students learn to see patients, take histories, perform physicals, build differentials, report back, and pass exams. But students offer much more. They provide continuity during long hospital stays, spend additional time with patients, and often organize post-hospitalization care.
What drives a medical student to delve deeper goes beyond learning or evaluations. Clinical rotations mark the first real contribution to patient care. It’s exhilarating to apply classroom knowledge in the hospital. Active participation far surpasses observation and book learning.
Caring for patients involves more than knowing their medical problems, medication lists, and admission histories. Some need tailored opioid regimens, extra home help, or education on specialist roles. Information flows swiftly in hospitals, but even faster for patients. Translating labs and tests into actionable information is a crucial skill.
Medical students are often an underutilized resource for identifying and addressing patient needs. By directly involving them in patient care, clinicians enrich their education and professional identity.
Enhancing patient care via medical students
Integrating medical students into daily rounds effectively can significantly enhance patient-centered care and support the investigation of social determinants of health. As attendings, it’s crucial to pivot teaching styles to maximize patient impact and facilitate the development of well-rounded and empathetic healthcare professionals. Here are five strategies to achieve this:
1. Bridge theory and practice.
Contrast real patient encounters with theoretical knowledge. This helps students understand the nuances and complexities of real-world clinical situations.
2. Share stories of actual patients.
Use daily rounds as an opportunity to discuss how actual patients differ from textbook examples. Highlight variations in disease presentations, patient responses, and treatment outcomes.
3. Observe and provide feedback on communication.
Pay close attention to how students interact with patients. Provide constructive feedback on their communication skills, emphasizing empathy, clarity, and patient education. Incorporate role-playing exercises during rounds to help students practice difficult conversations, such as delivering difficult news or explaining complex medical terms.
4. Encourage active participation in social determinants of health (SDOH) investigation.
Train students to identify and document social determinants of health during patient interviews. Discuss how these factors influence health outcomes and treatment plans. Involve students in connecting patients with community resources and support services. This not only aids patient care but also educates students on the broader healthcare ecosystem.
5. Promote patient-centered care approaches.
Teach students to involve patients in creating care plans. Teach them to ask open-ended questions and listen to patients’ concerns, preferences, and values.
Assign students to coordinate aspects of patient care, such as follow-up appointments and multidisciplinary team meetings. This fosters a more holistic approach to healthcare.
6. Foster professional identity formation.
Act as a mentor and role model, demonstrating professionalism, ethical behavior, and a patient-centered approach in your interactions. Encourage students to reflect on their experiences during rounds. Facilitate discussions on how these experiences shape their professional identity and approach to patient care.
By implementing these strategies, we can create a dynamic learning environment that enhances the educational experience for medical students while simultaneously improving patient care. Integrating students into daily rounds not only prepares them for their future roles as healthcare providers but also fosters a culture of continuous learning and empathy within our medical teams.
This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.