Patients as Collaborators in Health Professions Education: Why, What and How

Presenters: Dr. Maria Hubinette and Ms. Carolyn Canfield, University of British Columbia

Wednesday, September 25th, 2024, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm PST

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the benefits and strengths of engaging people with lived experience in health professions education.
• Describe the range of contributions people with lived experience offer to health professions education.
• Share practical tips, tools, resources and examples that support inclusion of people with lived experience in health professions education at all levels.

Maria Michelle Hubinette  MD CCFP MMEd FCFP

I am a practicing family physician with a special interest in youth and women’s health including working with survivors of gender-based and sexual violence. My work is inspired by the patients and people with lived experience that I interact with and I firmly believe that patients’ perspectives and voices are critical in the education of physicians and other health care professionals. My scholarly and professional activity focuses on equity and diversity, health advocacy and social accountability of the medical profession with the underlying goals of anti-oppression and system change.  I have held a number of leadership roles in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC and am also currently in an acting role at the new medical school at SFU, establishing foundations of future education programs. I enjoy engaging in teaching, mentorship and supervision of scholarly projects with medical students, family medicine residents and clinical education fellows.

Outside of work, I am a neighbour, friend, daughter, sister, wife and mom to two young adults and one fur baby (a dog). I enjoy spending time with family and friends, ideally hiking, biking, skiing, sailing or swimming in the ocean.

Carolyn Canfield works as a citizen-patient to expand partnerships for patients and communities in health professional education, services improvement, policy, research and governance. Following healthcare tragedy in 2008, her full-time activism earned recognition in 2014 as Canada’s first Patient Safety Champion and faculty appointment in the UBC Department of Family Practice. University roles include joining the departmental Innovation Support Unit, teaching patient safety in medicine and nursing, and selecting candidates for medical school. Awarded the 2023 CAME Certificate of Merit. Serving Canadian and international research as a co-researcher, advisor and funding/publishing reviewer. Co-founded in 2017 the peer-led Patient Advisors Network, building citizen-patient capacity and leadership.

Abstract:

People with lived and living experience (patients, clients, health care consumers, end users and their informal caregivers) acquire and develop unique and important expertise, insight and knowledge. Inviting patients into health professions education has often been limited to sharing an illness story in a classroom setting. However, patient partners can offer much more to complement and fill gaps in the curriculum and training provided by health professionals. An appreciation of the breadth and depth of patient knowledge will spark your imagination for the potential in expanded contributions and ways of bringing patients into health professions education. This session will explore the possibilities when engaging people with lived experience (aka “patient partners”) in every aspect of health professions education. We will share a framework for understanding types of patient knowledge and some complementary roles patient partners can take, as well as practical tips, tools, resources and examples of collaborative education.

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