Teaching Social Determinants of Health in Undergraduate Medical Education

A Longitudinal Curricular and Experiential Program in the United Arab Emirates

Bibliographic Data

ID21613754
AuthorsKhairat Al-Habbal (0000-0001-7159-000X, is assistant professor, Department of Medical Science, director, Medicine and Society course, and director, BALSAM Community Health Program, Khalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates K. Al-Habbal ; [email protected], corresponding author), Halah Ibrahim (0000-0002-9240-7726, is associate professor, Department of Medical Science, Khalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates H. Ibrahim ; [email protected])
Year2024
Volume99
Issue3
Pages273-279
Publication date2024-03-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAcademic Medicine (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1040-2446 • E-ISSN: 1938-808X
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1097/acm.0000000000005561
PMID37976380
OpenAlexW4388801448
LanguageEN
References cited18

Social determinants of health (SDH) have a major impact on illness and wellness. However, research shows a lack of training on SDH in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, with studies confirming that the social needs of patients are not routinely identified or addressed by health care professionals in clinical practice. The medical education community is currently working to incorporate SDH into undergraduate training but has had limited guidance regarding educational topics, modes of teaching, and evaluation criteria in this domain. This article describes the evolution, process, and structure, along with student perceptions, lessons learned, and future directions, of an SDH educational program in the United Arab Emirates. Using the Institute of Medicine’s behavioral and social science knowledge domains as a framework, the program includes a didactic component with workshops, reflective practice training, and an experiential component that integrates home visits with social activities in collaboration with community partners. The program began in 2019. To date, 114 students have completed the didactic sessions and at least 1 year of the experiential component. Student surveys and reflective narratives reveal positive perceptions of the program and improved SDH knowledge, skills, and attitudes

Experiential knowledge · Experiential learning · Medical education · Pedagogy · Perception · Empathy and Medical Education · Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout · Medicine · Obesity and Health Practices · Psychology

Tools

Open DOI