Mi Casa o Su Casa? Assessing Function and Values in the Home

Abstract

Clinical instruction for medical students traditionally occurs in hospitals and offices, whereas patients and families face many health issues in their homes. This is particularly true for frail older adults, those with chronic illness, and patients at the end of life. The authors sought to incorporate geriatrics, primary care, and palliative care into house calls for medical students by integrating a home visit experience into their ambulatory clerkship. Using a guide jointly developed by geriatrics, primary care, and palliative care faculty, students conduct three home visits with a patient from their community preceptor's practice. The first visit focused on medical diagnoses and symptoms, the second on functional assessment/geriatric syndromes, and the third on social/cultural and end-of-life values. Students completed a 2,000-word write-up, including a narrative using the "voice" of the patient. Students presented the cases in small groups facilitated by geriatric and palliative care faculty. Eighty-three percent of students reported positive feedback about the experience. Based on write-ups and program evaluation, students voiced improved knowledge of functional assessment, geriatric syndromes, and progression of chronic illness. Students also poignantly expressed advantages of home visits in exploring psychosocial aspects of medicine, including affirming the humanity of medicine, understanding family systems, providing patient-centered care, and understanding patient beliefs. Several students expressed pursuing a house calls career. A longitudinal home visit experience for medical students can successfully enhance the geriatric, ambulatory care, and palliative care curricular content of undergraduate education and positively affect student's attitudes toward the chronically ill and homebound.