A home visit programme to teach medical students about children with special needs.

摘要

OBJECTIVES: During an 8-week clinical rotation in paediatrics and child health, fifth-year medical students at the University of Cape Town are required to visit children with special needs in their homes. The home visit allows students to learn, first-hand, from children with special needs and their families about living with chronic disease and disability. DESIGN: During 1998 students anonymously completed home visit evaluation questionnaires (90% response rate, 160/177). Through verbal presentations, students are assessed on their ability to make a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of chronic disease and disability on a child and family. SETTING: University of Cape Town Medical School. SUBJECTS: Fifth-year medical students. RESULTS: A content analysis of verbal presentations found students were more likely to identify medical, psychosocial and economic than spiritual and ethical issues. As a learning experience, 37% (n=57) of students rated the home visit as 'extremely worthwhile', 62% (n=100) found it 'worthwhile' and only 2% (n=3) felt it was 'a waste of time'. Most (97%, n=155) students felt the programme should continue in the future. CONCLUSIONS: As an educational tool, home visiting grounds learning in families' experience and encourages reflection beyond the medical aspects of care for children with special needs.