Dear Sir
The Thornhill Unit at Moorgreen Hospital, Southampton (UK) is a psychogeriatic unit where up to 210 third year medical students spend two weeks as part of their six-week psychiatry attachment from Southampton University. We piloted and evaluated a web-based interactive introductory teaching programme using real patients for the students whilst on their attachment. The programme was based on the syllabus and qualitative semi-structured interviews with the students. A web platform was created with content supplied by the first author with the help of a number of psychiatrists based at Moorgreen Hospital and experts in the field. The design aimed to:
Form an interactive introduction to old age psychiatry
Alleviate the element of fear and stigma
Stimulate interest and self-learning
Use elements of theory and link it to interactive video clips of real patients to allow step-by-step learning of aspects of assessment and management of common disorders in the specialty.
An introduction to the unit
A brief description of the role of different professionals
Theoretical overview of different diagnoses relevant to the subject linked to video clips of real patients
Interactive case study
Quiz
Evaluations were carried out anonymously over the year 2002–2003 with two successive placements of students on the unit. Thirty-two responses were received from a total of 36 students. The average time spent with the programme was 60 min. The results of the evaluation suggest that the programme was well received by the students. The majority of students found the experience enjoyable and commented on the usefulness of real cases. However, the number of students was small and sample selected. As a result of the pilot, the programme has been kept updated and is available to all students who are placed with the unit. It is constantly evaluated and updated. This may be a good way to introduce old age psychiatry as it stimulates self-learning, further reading and may help dispel some of the myths and fears students have about psychiatry due to the use of real patients.
Shanaya Rathod, MD,
MRCPsych Consultant Psychiatrist
Mulfords Hill Centre, 37–39 Mulfords Hill,
Tadley, RG26 3HX, UK.
Email: [email protected]
Henry Rosenvinge, MRCPsych, FRCPsych
Consultant Old age Psychiatry,
Moorgreen Hospital, Southampton, UK
Nick Martin BA(Hons) RN MSc
E-learning coordinator,
Mental Health Group, Southampton, UK