Following the 2002 Institute of Medicine report “Unequal Treatment,” increasing emphasis has been placed on recognizing the role that social determinants play in an individual’s health and the impact this has on health disparities. In medical education, these concepts are often taught through traditional lecture-based didactics. At our institution, we have developed a “Barriers to Care” curriculum for first year medical students as part of the biopsychosocial unit that utilizes a variety of teaching modalities. By crafting an effective and comprehensive curriculum for teaching students about social determinants of health, students not only gain knowledge about the importance of this topic, but also gain skills in working with patients with limited resources. Components of the curriculum are also designed to have an impact on the attitudes of learners by providing a real-world context and the opportunity to “experience” the challenges faced by patients as they navigate through complex and competing priorities.
Participants at the conference were introduced to curricular strategies and methodologies being utilized to teach these skills, including interactive team-based small group sessions, role plays, use of a documentary video, a reflective writing exercise, and a simulated patient activity. By the end of the session, participants were given a framework for teaching learners about social determinants of health and how consideration of these issues is critical to patient care.Materials include:- Conference lecture slides- "Barriers to Care" student lecture with links to resources- Social determinants reflection guide- Small group facilitator guide- Standardized patient case with evaluation form- 10 Chairs exercise description- Resource guide