Medical student program to learn from families experiencing developmental disabilities

Abstract

Patients and families experiencing developmental disabilities (DDs) may lack trust in physicians due to negative experiences in healthcare. DDs include conditions impairing physical, learning, language, or behavior areas, beginning during the developmental period and impacting daily functioning ('Developmental Disabilities'). Medical students generally do not receive standard training to effectively communicate with and diagnose patients with DDs. ARIE is a program for medical students to meet and learn from these patients and their families. Students learn about these families’ experiences during home visits, guided by standardized interview questions and surveys about families’ trust in physicians. Families did not appear to strongly trust physicians, with no significant changes after the program. Families shared they experienced physicians’ lack of empathy and knowledge when caring for patients with DDs. Families wanted future physicians to be empathetic and informed when treating children with disabilities. Students reported increased comfort and confidence in interacting with patients with DDs as well as their families after completing the training program. Implementing a service-learning model focused on DDs at other medical schools, incorporating training with communication techniques and home visits, can increase students’ confidence and experiences when engaging with patients with DDs and their families.

Keywords:

• Medical students
• developmental disabilities
• medical education

Acknowledgements

We thank the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institution (MI-DDI) at Wayne State University, Sharon Milberger, Sc.D., Ms. Elizabeth Janks, M.S.W., Jennifer Mendez, Ph.D., and the Alumni Association at Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM), for their guidance, support, and mentorship throughout the duration of the ARIE program at WSUSOM. We acknowledge Marissa Ray who coordinated the ARIE program and gathered data from it alongside Brigid Jacob, Ragda Izar, Hanna Tran, and Omar Afify. We also appreciate the families and WSUSOM students who participated in the ARIE program.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no relationship or financial interest with any entity that would pose a conflict of interest with the subject matter of this article. The surveys used in this study were submitted to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Wayne State University in past years but were not considered human subjects research as they are rather educational interventions. Therefore, it was determined by the IRB as not needing review at the time. IRB approval was not sought out again for surveys administered in Fall 2018. This study has not been previously published and is not currently under consideration by another journal.

Additional information

Funding

The program was supported by Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM) Alumni and the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute (MI-DDI).

The grant from MI-DDI was awarded by its Health Resources and Services Administration, from 7/1/16-6/30/21 for Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental & Other Related Disabilities (LEND), number T73MC30119.