Creating a More Collaborative Tomorrow: Development of a Patient Engagement Curriculum for a School of Nursing and Health Professions

Abstract

Background: Healthcare has been moving steadily toward a patient-centered paradigm that seeks to involve patients more in their own care. Teaching communication skills to future health professionals can increase such patient participation. Despite the shift to patient-centered care, there is almost no training in patient engagement techniques provided to students at the University of San Francisco School of Nursing and Health Professions. Purpose: This project aimed to design and develop a sustainable patient engagement curriculum that meets the unique needs of faculty and students at the University. Methods: Interviews were conducted with eight faculty members to understand the best format, timing, and content for the curriculum. A course with modules covering patient engagement techniques was created in a learning management system (LMS), which allows faculty to modify and import modules into their own existing courses. The modules cover the concepts of patient engagement, shared decision making, health coaching, decision aids, common communication barriers, and cultural competence. Results: Faculty who reviewed the course were overwhelmingly positive, because the modules meet their need for a combination of online didactics and in-person simulations that are easily accessed, modified, and merged with existing courses. Students who attended two pilot in-person workshops wanted greater variety in simulation scenarios but reported a better understanding of patient engagement and comfort with sharing decisions with patients. Conclusions: Using an LMS to distribute learning modules about patient engagement techniques may help faculty build student knowledge over time and create opportunities for interprofessional training