Partners in Health Education for People with Disabilities Curriculum

Partners in Health Care for People with Disabilities (PHEPD) is a curriculum that has been designed for students in healthcare training programs to be better prepared to treat patients with disabilities.   The PHEPD curriculum was initially piloted in medical schools and residency programs.  Since 2012, 400 Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant students have participated in 5 pilot projects. The curriculum has been integrated into the traditional curriculum and aligned to required competencies. Student progress and impacts are measured through pre and post program assessments, quizzes, and performance rubrics. 

Training consists of lectures and both non-medical and clinical experiences. Topics include health disparities; disability awareness, developmental disabilities; history, rights and laws; engaging community-based services; and effective communication strategies. Experiences include patient/family interviews; community agency visits; case studies; clinical experiences, peer discussions, personal reflections, and evaluations.  

Highlights of findings from data: Increase in students’ knowledge of disabilities, legal rights, accommodations, and effective communication strategies; positive impacts on campus culture, preceptors and community-based partners; effective in promoting student self-discovery, and overcoming their often long-held negative attitudes, bias, and misinformation.  Students also increased their awareness of secondary health care conditions linked to developmental disabilities; effective ways to interact with patients and their families; and the importance of tailored health literacy, preventative care, and promoting health, wellness and fitness. Curriculum sustainability was a goal from the onset of the pilots, and findings show a need for endorsement of department chairs, faculty training, curriculum updates, and ongoing effective collaboration with disability advocacy and community-based service providers.