Teaching students how to be part of a system should enhance care

This study’s results highlight the potential for integrating students into interprofessional care teams in a wide range of clinical sites to simultaneously add value to the health care system and enhance education,” study authors concluded. How can students help patients, clinics? Clinicians who participated in the study said students could work directly with patients to improve their health. Examples of these kinds of activities include: Monitoring care plans via face-to-face meetings Facilitating patient access to services and resources, for example medical assistance or exercise programs Assessing patients to identify social or systems barriers that may impact the care plan Assisting patients to overcome challenges and motivating them to attain their goals by serving as a patient “coach” Participants in the study said that patients benefit from having another set of eyes on them and another contact for them. Students also would be able to help the clinic by serving as a link between patients and the clinic. For example, students could arrange appointments, communicate updates to specialist care teams or assist patients through the hospital discharge transition period. As part of hands-on HSS, students also could explore areas at a clinic where quality improvement initiatives would help advance patient care, or students could expand the educational library available for patients, the study said. What do students gain? Profession...
Source: AMA Wire - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Source Type: news