1. Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Lessons learned:
Embedding mHealth into undergraduate
medical education
Juanita Fernando
Jennifer Lindley
Medicine 2.0
13 -14 November 2014

2. 2
Introduction
§
Current gap between undergraduate medical
education and mHealth and clinical informatics
§
Global shortages in the digital medical workforce
§
Requires a fundamental change in medical
curricula

3. Method
§
Innovative mHealth informatics elective for
undergraduate medical education
§
Small group of first year medical students
§
Emergent challenges analysed and discussed
§
An action research model informed redesign of the
elective
3

4. Results
§
Specific challenges identified across three key
domains:
– Curriculum aspects
– Staff expertise
– Student related issues
§
Strategies were developed to address these in
‘real time’
4

5. Results and Outcomes
Challenges Intervention Outcome
Curriculum
crowding
Used existing ‘space’
Resources and
funding
Cross subsided from research
funds, borrowed equipment
Staff expertise Used internal and external
experts
Clinical practice Targeted sessions on risks,
threats and benefits
Technosavvy Targeted tutorial on use of
social network tools
Jargon Glossary and discussion
Gender Accommodate gender
imbalance in group
5

6. Results and Outcomes
Challenges Intervention Outcome
Curriculum
crowding
Used existing ‘space’ Established a strategy to
incorporating new content in
curriculum
Resources and
funding
Cross subsided from research
funds, borrowed equipment
Staff expertise Used internal and external
experts
Clinical practice Targeted sessions on risks,
threats and benefits
Technosavvy Targeted tutorial on use of
social network tools
Jargon Glossary and discussion
Gender Accommodate gender
imbalance in group
6

7. Results and Outcomes
Challenges Intervention Outcome
Curriculum
crowding
Used existing ‘space’ Established a strategy to
incorporating new content in
curriculum
Resources and
funding
Cross subsided from research
funds, borrowed equipment
Staff expertise Used internal and external
experts
Clinical practice Targeted sessions on risks,
threats and benefits
Technosavvy Targeted tutorial on use of
social network tools
Jargon Glossary and discussion
Gender Accommodate gender
imbalance in group
7

8. Results and Outcomes
Challenges Intervention Outcome
Curriculum
crowding
Used existing ‘space’ Established a strategy to
incorporating new content in
curriculum
Resources and
funding
Cross subsided from research
funds, borrowed equipment
Identified future needs to ensure
sustainability
Staff expertise Used internal and external
experts
Clinical practice Targeted sessions on risks,
threats and benefits
Technosavvy Targeted tutorial on use of
social network tools
Jargon Glossary and discussion
Gender Accommodate gender
imbalance in group
8

9. Results and Outcomes
Challenges Intervention Outcome
Curriculum
crowding
Used existing ‘space’ Established a strategy to
incorporating new content in
curriculum
Resources and
funding
Cross subsided from research
funds, borrowed equipment
Identified future needs to ensure
sustainability
Staff expertise Used internal and external
experts
Develop a network of ‘champions’
Clinical practice Targeted sessions on risks,
threats and benefits
Technosavvy Targeted tutorial on use of
social network tools
Jargon Glossary and discussion
Gender Accommodate gender
imbalance in group
9

10. Results and Outcomes
Challenges Intervention Outcome
Curriculum
crowding
Used existing ‘space’ Established a strategy to
incorporating new content in
curriculum
Resources and
funding
Cross subsided from research
funds, borrowed equipment
Identified future needs to ensure
sustainability
Staff expertise Used internal and external
experts
Develop a network of ‘champions’
Clinical practice Targeted sessions on risks,
threats and benefits
Provides a model for student
learning
Technosavvy Targeted tutorial on use of
social network tools
Jargon Glossary and discussion
Gender Accommodate gender
imbalance in group
10

11. Results and Outcomes
Challenges Intervention Outcome
Curriculum
crowding
Used existing ‘space’ Established a strategy to
incorporating new content in
curriculum
Resources and
funding
Cross subsided from research
funds, borrowed equipment
Identified future needs to ensure
sustainability
Staff expertise Used internal and external
experts
Develop a network of ‘champions’
Clinical practice Targeted sessions on risks,
threats and benefits
Provides a model for student
learning
Technosavvy Targeted tutorial on use of
social network tools
Provides a model for student
learning
Jargon Glossary and discussion
Gender Accommodate gender
imbalance in group
11

12. Results and Outcomes
Challenges Intervention Outcome
Curriculum
crowding
Used existing ‘space’ Established a strategy to
incorporating new content in
curriculum
Resources and
funding
Cross subsided from research
funds, borrowed equipment
Identified future needs to ensure
sustainability
Staff expertise Used internal and external
experts
Develop a network of ‘champions’
Clinical practice Targeted sessions on risks,
threats and benefits
Provides a model for student
learning
Technosavvy Targeted tutorial on use of
social network tools
Provides a model for student
learning
Jargon Glossary and discussion Template for learning resources and
activities
Gender Accommodate gender
imbalance in group
12

13. Results and Outcomes
Challenges Intervention Outcome
Curriculum
crowding
Used existing ‘space’ Established a strategy to
incorporating new content in
curriculum
Resources and
funding
Cross subsided from research
funds, borrowed equipment
Identified future needs to ensure
sustainability
Staff expertise Used internal and external
experts
Develop a network of ‘champions’
Clinical practice Targeted sessions on risks,
threats and benefits
Provides a model for student
learning
Technosavvy Targeted tutorial on use of
social network tools
Provides a model for student
learning
Jargon Glossary and discussion Template for learning resources and
activities
Gender Accommodate gender
imbalance in group
Change in recruitment practice
13

14. Conclusion
§
Highlighted gap between learning and practice
§
Innovative approach to curriculum redesign
§
mHealth informatics in the medical curriculum
§
Impact on student learning
§
Funding and resource needs for contemporary medical
educational
14