RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center (UNMHSC), located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, has an international reputation for developing and implementing curricular initiatives addressing health inequities. The Street Outreach and Shelter Care elective is designed to provide interprofessional service learning opportunities for senior pharmacy and medical students addressing the needs of our nation's most marginalized population-those experiencing homelessness. METHODS: Our institution collaborated with multiple community partners serving the homeless to develop, implement and teach a 4-week senior elective for health professions students. During this elective, senior pharmacy and medical student teams provide individualized health care to men in local homeless shelter facilities. Students also participate in street outreach programs across a continuum of homeless populations. Weekly interprofessional education (IPE) faculty-facilitated sessions allow students to reflect on their experiences and learn from other discipline perspectives. RESULTS: Student evaluations uniformly reflect the transformative nature of the rotation since its inception, April 2009. Our outcomes corroborated the findings of similar service learning models developed to sensitize health professions students to the complex challenges of homeless populations. DISCUSSION: Academic centers can play a central role in health education reform by instituting curricula focusing on the primacy of population welfare and just distribution of resources. Senior year is an opportune time to reinforce social accountability among health professions before graduation. This elective is based on adult principles of learning and can serve as an international educational model for developing interprofessional curricular innovations addressing the healthcare needs of vulnerable populations.
Asunto(s)
Relaciones Comunidad-Institución , Educación Médica/métodos , Personas con Mala Vivienda , Relaciones Interprofesionales , Centros Médicos Académicos/organización & administración , Curriculum , Humanos , Modelos Educacionales , New MexicoRESUMEN
This article describes a process of evaluating and adapting existing clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for homeless individuals by different healthcare providers in multiple healthcare settings across the country. Data were collected using a standardized evaluation tool in nine sites across the United States. Clinicians completed an evaluation of the CPG after every use. Most clinicians used the CPG five times. Descriptive statistics were reported on the characteristics of the clinicians, and the utility of the guidelines and written comments. Clinicians had an average of 12 years of clinical experience, 8 years of which were specifically spent working with homeless individuals. Ninety-one percent of the clinicians practiced in urban settings. The majority of clinicians felt the adapted guidelines met evaluation criteria. The major weaknesses reported the delineation of outreach and case management activities. Results did not vary by clinicians' disciplines, years of experience, or any other indicators. Clients and clinicians providing primary care to homeless individuals may benefit from utilizing Health Care for the Homeless Clinicians' Network adapted CPGs to assure quality, evidenced-based care to a vulnerable population.