Original ResearchEvaluation of a collaborative project to develop sustainable healthcare education in eight UK medical schools
Introduction
Anthropogenic environmental change, including climate change, is one of the greatest public health challenges of our era.1 Actions to mitigate destruction of ecosystems, to improve the health and well-being of humans now and in the future, require judicious use of natural resources.2, 3 The environmental impact of health services is substantial but can be reduced through joined-up services, good communication between healthcare providers and patients, selection of high-value interventions, focus on prevention and promotion of patient autonomy and person-centred care.4 Sustainable healthcare services provide high-quality care, without significantly impairing the ability of future generations to do the same.
Education in medical schools can help to ensure that future doctors are competent to inform, research and advocate about environmental determinants of health and to manage transition to provision of sustainable health care.5 We define sustainable healthcare education as teaching and learning which prepares future health professionals to promote sustainable health and deliver sustainable health care. Priority learning outcomes (PLOs) for sustainable health care (Fig. 1) can guide implementation of teaching.6
This study aimed to evaluate a collaborative education project which facilitated the design, implementation and evaluation of sustainable healthcare education in eight UK medical schools. Specific aims were to
- 1.
explore drivers and challenges of collaboration for educational development between and within medical schools;
- 2.
evaluate the effectiveness of a range of pedagogies for sustainable healthcare education; and
- 3.
identify effective strategies to facilitate the renewal of medical curricula to address evolving health challenges.
Section snippets
Methods
Participatory action research (PAR) can be applied to the study of complex adaptive systems that are constantly evolving, are affected by external factors and comprise multiple and varied sites.7 We used PAR methods to stimulate reflection and learning during a collaborative educational project. PAR enabled learning about participants' experience of collaborative working and the impact of diverse local educational contexts (including factors internal and external to the project) on education
Results
Eleven medical schools applied, and eight were accepted (Table 1). Opportunities identified by medical schools included senior support, strategic alignment, forthcoming curriculum/module reviews and availability of educators and/or curriculum space.
Lessons about collaborative education projects
This study highlights the potential to stimulate and support innovation through collaborative working. Bringing together individuals with different levels of experience and expertise in medical education and sustainable health care led to mutually beneficial exchanges. A face-to-face seminar educated participants (including through peer-education), stimulated participants and enabled networking. Videoconferencing enabled collaboration between remote sites but does not provide all the benefits
Acknowledgements
This study would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the participants and the support of colleagues at Centre for Sustainable Healthcare. The authors would like to thank Aditya Vyas, Andrew Punton, Alexander Clark, Alisha Patel, Andrew Lee, Ann Wylie, Anna Jones, Audrey Skidmore, Danny Ruta, Eleanor Hothersall, Emmanuel Okenyi, Ingeborg Steinbach, Jason Horsley, Kathleen Leedham-Green, Kiran Eyre, Madeleine Gabony, Mairead Boohan, Neil Merrylees, Priya Paudyal, Rachel
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