Patient-centered medical education: A proposed definition

Abstract

Multiple papers have been presented to define patient-centered care, with regulatory bodies such as the General Medical Council mapping this in their professional standards. Educational institutions clearly value instilling appreciation of patient-centredness in medical training, and attempts have been made to make medical education more patient-centered in practice. Such attempts are often limited to expert patients sharing personal stories, and public involvement in teaching. Despite the drive towards patient-centered care and medical education, there has been no attempt to formally define what patient-centered medical education is and what it means to medical educators globally. This paper proposes a definition of patient-centered medical education that is about the patients, with the patients, and for the patients, to ensure current and future doctors remain sensitive to all of the needs of the people they care for. This should be considered at both the micro and macro community levels.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Prof Stewart Petersen and Dr. Kenny Langlands for kindly reviewing earlier versions of this manuscript. We would also like to thank our expert patient representatives, Graeme Johnston and Lilia Bogle, for their insights and support in conceptualizing the proposed definition.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Glossary

Patient-centered medical education: Is about the patients, with the patients, and for the patients, to ensure current and future doctors remain sensitive to all of the needs of the people they care for.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jasmine Hearn

Dr. Jasmine Hearn, BSc, DPhil, PGCertEd, AFBPsS, FHEA, is a Lecturer in Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Mohamed Dewji

Dr. Mohamed Dewji, MBBS, DRCOG, MRCGP, MBA, is an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at The University of Buckingham Medical School and National Clinical Deputy Lead for NHS England.

Claire Stocker

Dr. Claire Stocker, BScHons, MPhil, PgCertEd, PhD, MRSB, FAcadMEd, is a Senior Lecturer and Student Support Lead at The University of Buckingham Medical School.

Greg Simons

Prof Greg Simons, MbChB, MSc, FRCGP, is the GP Lead at The University of Buckingham Medical School.