Abstract Manager

Oral

OB1-3-1

Accept

I declare I have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this program.

yes

General Call (Workshop, Oral Presentation, Poster Presentation)

Oral

Education Innovation

Student

yes

Community-based Patient Panels as Teaching Tools in Medical Education to build Anti-Oppressive Medical Practice and Advocacy Skills

Patient panels-in which patients share their lived experience with illness, injury, and disability-are important tools in pre-clinical medical education that build empathy and understanding of the holistic illness experience. Currently at the University of Toronto, panelists are recruited as volunteers from curriculum leads' own patient pools-a method that has led to panels composed of patients who are primarily White, of high socioeconomic status, and with strong social supports. Thus, students learn to empathize with privileged patients, often undermining empathy for patients without social supports, who cannot adhere to "healthy lifestyles", and who experience discrimination and oppression in healthcare. This perpetuates inequitable healthcare outcomes.

A pilot patient panel was conducted using a recruitment approach focused on intentional diversification of patient panels through community-based engagement. A partnership was formed with an organization that houses a speaker's bureau of panelists with lived experience of various forms of marginalization. A grant was obtained to compensate panelists. In a post-panel survey (n = 59), students highlighted that the more diverse panel helped them build empathy towards marginalized patients (93%) and explore approaches to addressing inequity (81%). Students requested this approach play a more consistent role in the curriculum.

Community-based patient panels that are diverse across social differences and illness experiences are important teaching tools to educate medical students about health and structural inequities, build understanding towards marginalized populations, and promote reciprocal approaches to advocacy. This pilot project was used to advocate for permanent implementation of such approaches to all patient panels.

diversity

patient panels

community based

Undergraduate

Teaching and learning

Undergraduate

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes