Learning about sites of care for older adults: a jigsaw educational session for medical students

Abstract

Choosing the appropriate site of care for patients is a vital clinical skill when caring for older adults. For better patient safety and smoother transitions of care, we need improved curricula to train clinicians about the system of sites and services where older adults receive care. Here we present an innovative introduction for medical trainees to the complexities of long-term and post-acute care for geriatric patients. Students participated in a team-based ‘jigsaw’ learning activity, in which each team researched a particular site of care and then taught a larger group of their peers about that site. It was subsequently converted to a virtual format due to COVID-19. The activity was assessed using students’ written feedback and satisfaction scores. Students enjoyed the interactivity and hands-on approach, giving the activity an average score of 3.9 out of 5 (1 = ‘poor’; 5 = ‘excellent’). The jigsaw provided an engaging, case-based foundation for learning about sites of care and was well-received by students.

Out of the classroom, into the home: Medical and dental students' lessons learned from a Geriatrics home visit

“…Prior to the visit, students participated in an interactive didactic session to understand various sites of care for older adults, which has been evaluated separately. 10 Beginning in 2017, the students also received a pocket card based on the Geriatrics 5Ms framework (Mobility, Mind, Medications, Multicomplexity and Matters Most) 11,12 which aligns with the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative. [11][12][13] In subsequent years of the curriculum, first year students also completed an online Aquifer Geriatrics clinical case on home safety and functional assessment prior to the visit.…”

“…The visit and subsequent debriefing session occurred in groups of 2 or 3 students with a preceptor, who was a geriatrician or geriatrics fellow. Prior to the visit, students participated in an interactive didactic session to understand various sites of care for older adults, which has been evaluated separately 10 . Beginning in 2017, the students also received a pocket card based on the Geriatrics 5Ms framework (Mobility, Mind, Medications, Multicomplexity and Matters Most) 11,12 which aligns with the Age‐Friendly Health Systems initiative 11–13 .…”