Accepted Type
Oral
Code
OG1-1-4
Acceptance Declaration
Accept
Additional Information
I declare I have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this program.
Was this work accepted for CCME 2020?
no
Category
General Call (Workshop, Oral Presentation, Poster Presentation)
Type
Oral
Sub Type
Education Innovation
Will the presenter be a:
Student
Affiliation
Considered for Poster
yes
Title
Utilizing a Community Health Incubator as a Novel Health Advocacy Education Tool
Length of Presentation
Background/Purpose
Health advocacy is a vital pillar of the CanMEDs competency framework, yet it is difficult to teach and assess. Service learning may address this deficit, but is implemented heterogeneously across medical schools in Canada and produces inconsistent learning outcomes. Although business incubators are commonly used to teach intangible skills and drive innovation, the use of an incubator to teach advocacy remains unexplored in medical education.
Summary of the Innovation
Accel Labs is a social incubator that supports student-led teams seeking to build community health projects. Design thinking approach to healthcare innovation underpins our application process, which asks applicants to empathize with a target population, describe specific needs and ideate a solution. Selected teams receive funding and expert mentorship to propel projects through the startup phase. Multidisciplinary workshops in business, design and public health, are provided to teach practical skills for launching startup initiatives. Overall, 4 projects aimed at improving health outcomes in marginalized populations were funded and matched with mentors. Structured survey measuring self-perceived ability to engage in health advocacy was given upon acceptance and tracked over time. Improvements in attitudes toward health advocacy and perceived ability to generate impact was found amongst trainees enrolled in the incubator.
Conclusion
By utilizing an incubator framework, students receive a unique and engaging learning opportunity while generating positive health impact for underserved groups. This structured framework can be replicated to develop multidisciplinary skills, build partnerships across sectors and foster a spirit of social entrepreneurialism that may be critical for effective health advocacy.
Keyword 1
Health Advocate
Keyword 2
Experiential Learning
Keyword 3
Innovation
Level of Training
Undergraduate
Abstract Themes
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
- Communication Skills
- Critical Thinking
- Health Promotion
- Teamwork
Additional Theme (First choice)
Undergraduate
Additional Theme (Second Choice)
Inter-professional Education
Additional Theme (Third Choice)
Postgraduate
Authors
Presenter
Youshan Ding
Term 1
Yes
Term 2
Yes
Term 3
Yes
Term 4
Yes
Term 5
Yes
