National Envelope- Tools for Transition - Responsive Component Initiatives

Where's the Patient's Voice in Health Professional Education?

$30,000

The Division of Health Care Communication was established in September 1996 and works to promote a partnership model of client-health professional communication in line with current trends in health care - evidence-based practice, client-centred care and informed choice. Research and program development is targeted to three main areas: changing curriculum; changing professional practice; and, working on the patient/client side.

Partners:

The College of Health Disciplines and the University of British Columbia Interprofessional Continuing Education are working in partnership with the Division of Health Care Communication.

Objectives:

The objectives of the initiative are to understand the drivers and barriers that influence client-professional communications and their implications for health outcomes; to conduct research with the involvement of patients/clients and health professionals in the community and academe; and, to ensure research findings are realized in practice by affecting curriculum change and building effective communication skills.

Activities:

Hold a conference bringing together researchers, teachers, patients, policy makers, practitioners, and students to explore practice, innovation and theory that embeds the patient/client voice in health professional education. The conference will include keynote speakers, several concurrent workshops and poster presentations. A task force will be established to identify best practice guidelines for meaningful patient involvement in health professional education. These guidelines will be published and disseminated as a mandate for widespread implementation to stimulate educational change by re-shaping the way in which health professionals are trained and educated.

Expected Results:

The expected results of the initiative are a multi-disciplinary collaboration among health professionals; partnerships between patients/patient groups and professionals by providing a venue for them to share their work, ideas, perspectives; barriers to collaboration related to patient involvement in health professional education and the outcomes of such involvement; recommendations for repositioning the role of patients in health professional education; and, a publication of a mandate for developing socially responsible, patient-centred health professional curriculum. This publication will ultimately set a new standard for health professional education whereby educational programs may be developed and evaluated.

Contact:

Cathy Kline
Research Coordinator Division of Health Care Communication, College of Health Disciplines, UBC
#400 - 2194 Health Sciences Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3
Tel: (604) 822-8022
Fax: (604) 822-2495
Email: cckline@interchange.ubc.ca