What do residents learn by meeting with families of children with disabilities?: A qualitative analysis of an experiential learning module.

PURPOSE

Attitudes of medical providers towards persons with disabilities can affect the quality of care their patients receive. The authors evaluated an experiential learning module to investigate what Paediatric and Medicine/Paediatric residents at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital learn from visiting the homes of families with children who have disabilities.

METHODS

Families were recruited through a community-based parent organization. The families were instructed to discuss what it is like to have a child with a disability and to think about a primary message to give to residents during a 1-2 hour home visit. Since 1998, residents participated as part of the required Developmental Paediatrics rotation. They were instructed to write a one-page narrative description of their visit. The authors utilized the grounded theory of qualitative research and content analysis to count the key themes identified in the residents' descriptions.

RESULTS

Twenty-four families and 63 residents participated in the learning module. The resident observations yielded four major themes. Twenty-four per cent stated families needed more information; 79% noted that families face various obstacles, including financial (33%), medical providers' pessimism (29%), inter-personal family conflicts (27%) and medical system problems (22%); 49% of residents commented that families adjust and cope with their child's disability; and 27% of residents stated that the experience changed their insight about children with disabilities.

CONCLUSION

The authors' study suggests that a single home visit with the family of a child with a disability provides paediatrics and medicine/paediatrics residents with insights into the family's perspective on disability otherwise unattainable in a hospital-based training programme.