Abstract
BackgroundMedical student demands for competency based homeless health education is increasing. Indeed, humans living homeless is a treatable health and social emergency. This innovation report outlines the initial development of an education framework for homeless health.MethodsA medical student task force and educators conducted a mixed method study, including a scoping review of homeless health curriculum and competencies, a cross-country survey of medical students, and unique clinical guidelines. The task force collaborated with persons with lived experience and clinical guideline developers from the Homeless Health Research Network. The students presented at the Toronto Homeless Health Summit and refined the framework with feedback from homeless health experts.ResultsThe main outcome was an evidence-based Homeless Health Curriculum Framework. It uses seven core competencies; with communication, advocacy, leadership, and upstream approaches playing the strongest roles. The framework integrated the new clinical guideline (housing, income assistance, case management and addiction). In addition, it identified approaches to support mental health care with trauma informed and patient centered care. It identified public health values, clinical objectives, and case studies. The framework aims to inform the design, delivery, service learning and evaluation for medical school curriculum.ConclusionsThis student-led curriculum framework can support the design, implementation, delivery and evaluation of homeless health within the undergraduate medical curriculum. The framework can lay the foundation for new doctors, research and development; support consistency across programs; and support the creation of national learning and evaluation tools.
Highlights
Medical student demands for competency based homeless health education is increasing
The Canadian Federation of Medical Students CFMS, for example, established a task force to develop educational initiatives around homeless health. The purpose of this innovation paper is to introduce a new framework to guide the development of homeless health undergraduate medical curriculums
Student leaders from the task force conducted a mixedmethod curriculum quality improvement initiative that included a scoping review of the literature around homeless health curricula as well as an internal electronic survey of undergraduate medical students across Canada on the subject of homelessness and how it is currently being taught in undergraduate medicine
Summary
Medical student demands for competency based homeless health education is increasing. Homeless and vulnerably housed populations face increased risk for structural violence, accidental and traumatic injuries, soft tissue infections, frostbite, diabetes, cardiovascular illnesses, and mental disorders [2]. As a result, this population suffers from higher rates of preventable all-cause mortality compared to the general public [3]. The Canadian Federation of Medical Students CFMS, for example, established a task force to develop educational initiatives around homeless health. The purpose of this innovation paper is to introduce a new framework to guide the development of homeless health undergraduate medical curriculums
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