Co-productive Learning for Better Communication: improving outcomes for patients, professionals and

communities

Delia Muir and Hament Patel

Working with Simulated Patients

• Simulation is used as an educational tool throughout healthcare education

• Experiential learning in a safe environment

• The challenge is to keep the patient voice strong within this model

• There is a danger that simulated patients (SPs) are used as audio-visual aids.

Working with Simulated Patients

How has this work been developed?

• Simulated patients as an important part of the lay involvement now required in healthcare

• Examining ways to move forward when people disagree

• Live case study stimulates discussion and debate

• Using this model in other contexts e.g. research and community development

Examples of our Community Projects

• Building meaningful patient feedback into medical revalidation (with NHS England)

• Working with mothers and GPs to look at community services (with Social Action for Health)

• Examining health inequalities with refugees and migrants in London (with Stepping Stones 4 Social Inclusion)

• Scenarios based on the real experiences of the local community

Workshop Exercise…

Two ways of running:

Option 1 – Delia and Hament produce a scenario from a story around a health challenge and its associated issues as part of a 1-1 doctor and patient consultation, which is presented to workshop participants for their feedback.

Option 2 – A workshop participant volunteers to play role of health or care professional (need not be doctor) or the patient with Delia around scenario they develop together in relation to a health challenge and associated issues.

In both cases workshop participants observing simulated role-play – listen to conversation and take notes to help with any feedback they may want to make.

Watch the conversation and consider…

• What is going well?

• What could be done differently?

• Does anything in the story remind you of your own experiences?

• Think about both the one to one communication and the wider story

• Noting down some examples and quotes may be helpful

Moving from one to one communication to the bigger picture…. From individual to institutional and political change, by people and communities.