Using adult learning characteristics and the humanities to teach undergraduate healthcare students about social determinants of health

Abstract

Authors used an andragogy framework to help undergraduate allied health students better understand social determinants of health (SDOH) using a photo essay assignment. The study examined students’ perceptions of SDOH in various communities, description of health outcomes associated with their chosen SDOH, and lessons learned and suggestions to improve the assignment for future cohorts. Data were extracted from photo essays from 2019–2021 and entered in Microsoft Excel and Word for data analysis after course completion. Conventional qualitative content analysis was used to analyze student evaluation data from open-ended questions. Data were extracted from 53 student essays from 2019 to 2021. Most photo essays described communities in South Carolina (n = 42, 79.2%), urban areas (n = 37, 69.8%), or intermediary SDOH (75.5%). Several themes emerged concerning lessons learned (awareness and empathy are key to addressing SDOH), health equity (collaboration is necessary to provide resources, especially for underserved populations), and constructive feedback for the instructor (more time to discuss SDOH and assignment with peers and instructor). Faculty must work with students to think about more upstream factors like policy and cultural and societal values. Collecting evaluation data, specifically lessons learned and constructive feedback for faculty, can help faculty continuously improve course topics and assignments. Following a transparency framework can support student success and help faculty become effective leaders in the classroom while teaching subjects like SDOH and social justice.

Medical Humanities in Undergraduate Psychiatry Teaching: Learner Assessment and Mediators of Better Learning Outcomes

“…We also found that reflective capacity mediated the relationship between reflective writing and perceived better patient care. While there is evidence supporting the role of medical humanities in fostering empathy 10,17,18 and the association between empathy and improved patient care, [33][34][35] there is less research into whether the use of medical humanities directly impacts patient care, though some theories as to how this might be achieved have been proposed. Building on the work of Charon, 14 Lapite proposed that by fostering empathy for patients, medical humanities help to improve the clinicianpatient relationship.…”

“…3,4 Earlier studies have highlighted the place of medical humanities in the inclusion of aspects of human experience which can facilitate the learner's reflection and awareness during learning. 6 The promotion of reflective practice had been conducted through expressive writing, 7 poetry, 8 use of comics and photo essay assignment 9,10 related to topics in healthcare ranging from social determinants of health 10 to care for individuals with dementia. 8 We previously described the use of stories in the form of narratives within the teaching of topics, including psychotic disorders among medical undergraduates and research ethics within postgraduate learners, and found that medical humanities could enhance engagement, improve appreciation of the content and address underlying motivational factors behind learning and understanding.…”