Enabling health care students to lead patient care (577) Members : Annual Conference 2014

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Public Group Active 8 years, 7 months ago

Tue, Sep 2 2014, 1:35pm – 2:35pm

Description

In 2008 the Department of Health stated that sophisticated information management and technology were crucial to improving the quality of patient care and patient safety (DH 2008). The General Medical Council then specified that doctors should make effective use of computers and information systems and apply the principles, method and knowledge of health informatics to medical practice (GMC 2009).

Clinical Information Systems (CIS) are now firmly embedded in clinical practice: essential for facilitating communication between multidisciplinary teams and enabling coherent long term care for patients. However, Cave et al (2009) found that 42% of newly-qualified UK doctors felt that their medical training had not prepared them well for starting work. This was addressed by Leeds University medical school, recognising that the use of technology in general was changing the medical undergraduates’ learning journey. In order to ensure the students’ skills were fit for purpose when qualifying, changes needed to be reflected in the curriculum.

The ‘Clinical Information Systems for Patient Care’ (CIS4PC) project was developed at Leeds University using TPP SystmOne (used widely in West Yorkshire GP practices). Leeds was the first University to incorporate a ‘live’ CIS into the classroom as part of the student’s preparation for clinical placements.

Teaching is delivered through a combined clinical and informatics approach, using experiential learning for students to explore and understand how CISs support clinical care, quality monitoring, patient safety and communication within the safety of a classroom environment. Through interactive role-play using the CIS, students cover topics including information governance, record keeping, consultations, decision support and disease management. Key learning outcomes are augmented with opportunities for students to experience how technology can benefit them as future practitioners and their patients.CIS4PC is now fully integrated and spiralled throughout the curriculum and is used to expose students to the technology they will experience in practice, thereby developing their practical skills and preparing them effectively for practice

Student feedback in both 2009 and 2013 showed clear benefits and identified they want even more integrated use of technology. CIS4PC is bringing students closer to the real-world of practice and may ease their transition from student to doctor.

The session we propose is a standard 10 minute presentation on the project work, brief examples of CIS4PC session content and how we worked together to integrate health informatics and the technology into clinical teaching, followed by 5 minutes of questions

Health informatics and interactive use of technology are essential tools for health care providers/practitioners, yet there is still limited access for students in a safe learning environment; the health workers of tomorrow need to experience the technology as students in order to be better practitioners when qualified.

Cave J, Woolf K, Jones A, Dacre, J. (2009) Easing the transition from student to doctor: How can medical schools help prepare their graduates for starting work? Medical Teacher 31(5): 403-408.

Department of Health (2008) High Quality Care for All: NHS Next Stage Review Final Report. London

General Medical Council (2009) Tomorrow’s Doctors, Outcome 2: 19 [online] [available at: http://www.gmc-uk.org/education/undergraduate/tomorrows_doctors_2009.asp]