Invitation lecture and practice trial by person with history of disease instructors (third report)

Abstract

Background: Various educational methods simulating actual clinical scenes are introduced in physical therapist training course classrooms, but it is still difficult for students to grasp the reality of patients’ image and to experience a real feeling of strain and a sense of the reality of actual clinical scenes. In order to reduce such difficulties, we invited people with history of diseases as special lecturers. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to clarify whether repeated lectures bypeoplewith history of diseases contribute to the reduction of these difficulties. Methods:Twoneurological physical therapy lessonswere allocated to the lecture for students with very limited clinical training, where they only observed most of the time. The lectures took place during the second semester of their 2nd year and the first semester of their 3rd year. Two weeks before the lectures, the students were notified of the lessons, where “a personwith history of disease” will be invited. Then the teacher provided a preparatory lecture concerning cervical cord injury or cerebral stroke complemented with visual materials and assigned physical therapy assessment items. On the day of the lecture, the people with history of disease were invited to talk about their experiences and feelings from the patients’ viewpoint in a lecture form. Following the talk, students conducted the practice for physical therapy evaluation. After the lecture, A questionnaire survey of students (19 items, four-point scale evaluation) was conducted to compare the results obtained from the second semester of the 2nd year and first semester of the 3rd year. Results: Lectures by outsiders with experience of disease were helpful for students in understanding patients’ image, experiencing a feeling of strain and a sense of the reality of the actual clinical situation, and comprehending the importance of acquiring clinical knowledge and skills. Also, compared to the second semester in the 2ndyear, the result of questionnaire conducted in the first semester of the 3rd year saw increase in positive opinions concerning the relationship with patients, acquisition of clinical skills, and reflections on their learning attitude with an awareness of their future practice. Conclusion(s): Lectures, where people with history of diseases were invited as lecturers, successfully helped students to understand the patients’ image, experience a feeling of strain and a sense of the reality of the actual clinical situation, and become aware of the importance of acquiring clinical knowledge and skills. Also, the repetition of lectures by people with history of disease were found to increase skill practice lessons and provide students with a more fulfilling learning experience, which seems attributable to the effect of repetition. Implications: It was suggested that repeated lectures by people with history of diseases contribute to the acquisition of basic knowledge and skills of physical therapy regardless of the type of disease.