Nothing about us without us: integrating patient voices in health professions education

Description

Background
With changing demographics and healthcare needs, such as our aging population and patients living with chronic illness or disability, the ‘patient voice’ has never been more important. Yet this trend raises important questions: Why should we integrate patient voices in health professions education? What can be learned by including patient voices in educational design? Who benefits? The increasing engagement of patients or clients in different types and levels of heath professional training through co-creation processes has great potential yet also raises important educational and ethical questions for educators and health care practitioners.
Topic Importance
Without adequate consideration of patient perspectives, educational activities risk losing authenticity. Indeed, these activities may promote negative learning through stereotypical presentations of patients with a range of conditions, including issues related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Concrete examples of these activities may include patient cases used for case-based teaching or experiential education using simulation-based approaches. By applying principles of co-creation, educators may integrate patient voices, thus elevating relevant authenticity and minimising potential harmful stereotypes.
Format and Plans
This symposium brings together diverse perspectives including patient/client advocate, researcher, medical educator, and humanities scholar to address issues involving the cocreation of health professional education with patients. Panellists will examine the ways that patients are being incorporated into health professional training such as simulationbased education. They will also consider the benefits and implications of this patient involvement and concrete strategies to promote patient/public engagement in future education and research. After short presentations to prompt reflection, the session moderators will facilitate a discussion with panelists in response to audience questions.
Take Home Messages
1. The inclusion of patient voices in educational design through co-creation strategies has important benefits and implications.
2. Ethical considerations should guide the approach to including patient perspectives and patient voice.
3. Diverse perspectives increase the authenticity of an array of educational activities and has the potential to amplify the impact of educational research.

Period	29 Aug 2023
Event title	AMEE 2023
Event type	Conference
Location	Glasgow, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International