TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of Adding a Wheelchair Immersion Program to a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clerkship on Emotions, Behavior, and Attitude
T2 - A Prospective Pilot Study
AU - Hsieh, Shelly
AU - Donovan, Jayne
AU - Fyffe, Denise
AU - McKay, Ondrea
AU - Kirshblum, Steven
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022/8/1
Y1 - 2022/8/1
N2 - People with disabilities encounter significant barriers in health care and report that healthcare providers often lack an understanding in caring for them. Currently, there is limited disability awareness training in medical school curricula. This mixed-methods pilot study examined the effects of integrating a short wheelchair immersion program in a physical medicine and rehabilitation clerkship, versus the clerkship alone, on attitudes toward people with disabilities, comfort in treating people with disabilities, knowledge of wheelchair etiquette, and understanding of wheelchair-associated challenges. The standard training group underwent the physical medicine and rehabilitation clerkship, consisting of a 2-wk clinical rotation and didactic program. The intervention group additionally underwent a newly developed 1-hr wheelchair program where they simulated mobility and some activities of daily living as a “wheelchair user” and “caregiver.” Quantitative analysis demonstrated that all students who completed the clerkship had significantly improved attitudes toward and comfort in treating people with disabilities, knowledge of wheelchair etiquette, and understanding of wheelchair-associated challenges, whereas students in the wheelchair immersion program had a greater change in understanding wheelchair-associated challenges. Qualitative analysis revealed that the intervention resulted in positive attitudinal changes. These findings suggest that integrating a brief wheelchair immersion program with a physical medicine and rehabilitation clerkship may enhance disability awareness training in medical school curricula.
AB - People with disabilities encounter significant barriers in health care and report that healthcare providers often lack an understanding in caring for them. Currently, there is limited disability awareness training in medical school curricula. This mixed-methods pilot study examined the effects of integrating a short wheelchair immersion program in a physical medicine and rehabilitation clerkship, versus the clerkship alone, on attitudes toward people with disabilities, comfort in treating people with disabilities, knowledge of wheelchair etiquette, and understanding of wheelchair-associated challenges. The standard training group underwent the physical medicine and rehabilitation clerkship, consisting of a 2-wk clinical rotation and didactic program. The intervention group additionally underwent a newly developed 1-hr wheelchair program where they simulated mobility and some activities of daily living as a “wheelchair user” and “caregiver.” Quantitative analysis demonstrated that all students who completed the clerkship had significantly improved attitudes toward and comfort in treating people with disabilities, knowledge of wheelchair etiquette, and understanding of wheelchair-associated challenges, whereas students in the wheelchair immersion program had a greater change in understanding wheelchair-associated challenges. Qualitative analysis revealed that the intervention resulted in positive attitudinal changes. These findings suggest that integrating a brief wheelchair immersion program with a physical medicine and rehabilitation clerkship may enhance disability awareness training in medical school curricula.
KW - Disability Studies
KW - Medical Education
KW - Simulation Training
KW - Wheelchair
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85134854235&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001952
DO - 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001952
M3 - Article
C2 - 35034065
AN - SCOPUS:85134854235
SN - 0894-9115
VL - 101
SP - 782
EP - 788
JO - American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
JF - American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
IS - 8
ER -