by Roya Hassanzadeh and Jenna Mollaney
Our ageing and diverse population requires doctors to understand the broad sociocultural context of health, and to work collaboratively with local communities to address health needs and reduce our health inequities. During year 3, as part of their 10-week Medicine in the Community Apprenticeship (MICA), students complete a Community Action Project (CAP). This provides an excellent opportunity for our medical students to learn important skills in health improvement and making a real difference on the ground with communities while on clinical placements.
Working in pairs to assess local community needs and deliver and evaluate a sustainable healthcare intervention using quality improvement principles, students are encouraged to engage with members of the community (including patients, community groups, third sector organisations and health professionals). The projects are peer-assessed at a CAP presentation morning at the end of the placement where students present a poster in their pair detailing their project to their peers and then mark each other’s work.
Examples of CAP projects include a pair of students who recognised the ethnic diversity of their local population, which meant that local patients were unable to understand any health-related literature which was being provided by the doctors due to their limited English language. After engaging the local clinical commissioning group (CCG) and patient groups, they developed an online website where patient condition leaflets were translated into variety of languages. The initiative has been so successful, neighbouring areas are interested in the students working with their communities.
In another example, one pair of students identified a lack of uptake of the cervical smear screening program in their local GP practice population. After discussing this with patients, they identified a lack of awareness amongst the patients as a key driver. They engaged a local women’s cancer charity, and a Gynaecology Consultant from the local hospital to deliver an educational evening where local patients were invited to attend and learn about gynaecological malignancies and how they can be prevented.
The Community Action Project has allowed our students to engage in meaningful community engagement and make real impact on the health and welfare of the communities in which they are working. The Undergraduate Education Primary Care team are now carrying out research addressing the impact of the projects on both the student learning experience and impact on local communities.