COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEDICINE AND

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

FAMILY HEALTH PROGRAM

YEAR THREE

PROGRAM PLANNER DR NAHED ABDELKHALEK

February,2013-2014

Introduction:

The Family Health Program (FHP) introduces medical students to the focal point of the community the Family. Despite the major societal changes in the gulf, the family remains the basic social unit of the community. Primary, secondary and tertiary health care are concerned about illnesses and diseases, while family health extends beyond illness orientations. Family health compromises the interactions that occur within a household environment, affect family members as they seek to obtain, sustain and regain maximum health. It also includes the relationships and processes between the family, health care providers, social services and socio-economic systems. The later have potentials to maximize and enhance the well being of the family.

Family health is an important component of the Community Medicine Programme. It allows students to learn about how families' work, how they cope with life events, illnesses and social difficulties. It also helps students to appreciate community experience and to understand the importance of this in the context all family members' health. Moreover, the students learn about the effective delivery of health care. It is an opportunity for students to study the relationship between family health issues and social environment, and to understand the social network available to the family.

Conceptual framework of the family Health Program (Fig.1) Conceptually the program is designed, organized and implemented to reflect the interactions and relationships between "family", health systems and community care services.

Primary Health Care

Community Family

Individual

Secondary Health Care

Fig.1: Conceptual Framework of the Family Health Program

Community Based Care Services

The program offers students an opportunity to help families through: Health education, e.g. promotion of healthy life style issues such as exercise, weight reduction, positive food intake habits. Ongoing support and counselling, e.g. promotion of positive

communication and better understanding between family members. Identification of difficulties facing the family. Enhance management of patient's health problems through passing information regarding social conditions and lifestyle issues, e.g. diet for diabetic patients. The availability and accessibility of healthcare, e.g. through health or social departments and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO).

Programme Outcome Competencies: By the end of the program, students will be expected to acquire the following competencies: Develop an effective working relationship with the assigned families. Identify family function and decision making and the member. Describe the familys communication pattern and coping mechanisms. Identify the principle health issues in the family and their beliefs / understanding of these issues. Identify the health education and counselling opportunities related to the health needs / problems. Identify the social support network available to the family and guide the family to the community agencies relevant to their needs. Develop health education plan and discuss with the family to promote healthy life style Demonstrate professional behaviour while dealing with families in terms of respect for: The familys believes and values and their relation to individuals health and illness. Their autonomy and freedom to make decisions regarding their health. role of each

Content Outlines a) Knowledge 1. 2. Conceptual underpinnings of family health Family Health model 3. contextual, functional and structural aspects of family health comparing a medical model with a family model

Contextual aspects of family health: family multiple contexts family as the unit of care

4.

Functional perspectives and Family Health Individual and family development Relationship between functional processes and health 4

5.

Structural aspects of Family Health Factors involved in acquiring and learning human behaviour Modification of human behaviour Family health routines Self care routines Safety of precaution Mental health behaviour Family care Individual care Patient care

6. b) Skills:

Family focused practice for the 21st century.

1. family assessment interviewing 2. communication skills 3. Health Promotion and Health Education 4. Evidence Based Health Practice 5. Reporting skills, oral and written 6. Presentation skills

c) Attitude: 1. Empathy 2. Advocacy 3. Confidentiality and Ethics

Program Organization and Implementation The Program consists of one main activity: Family Based Experience Distressed Family: This could be a family having a special need child or a family of a patient with chronic illness. Four to five students will be allocated to a distressed family. Meetings will mainly take place at Sharjah Humanitarian City. Through this unique experience they will study the complex and multi-faceted nature of the familys problems. This

motivates and activates the students to provide support and help to this

important group of the society. Moreover, this experience may identify level of support to be provided by the community services.

A.

The core content will be covered through a series of interactive sessions and mini workshops, integrating theory with student's practical experience gained through their interactions with families.

Course Structure and Learning Methods: a) Field Work One day / week for one semester 6 hours practical. During this day, students will meet the families b) Theory Three hours / week for one semester. The main strategy of learning method is "Team Based Learning" approach (T.B.L) emphasizing selfdirected, problem based learning. This will be supported by interactive lectures.

Students Assessment: a) Continuous assessment Students activities, interaction with families and supervisors report 20%

b) Summative assessment Oral presentation of groups experiences Group written project report Individual students report this includes reflections on their experience Written examination A-type questions and modified essay questions 20% 20% 20% 20%

References: Coleman, K., Murray, E. (2002). Patients' views and feelings on the community-based teaching of undergraduate medical students: a qualitative study. Family Practice, 19(2), 183-188. Cooke, F., Galasko, G., Ramrakha, V., Richards, D., Rose, A., Watkins, I. (1996). Medical students in general practice: how do patients feel? British Journal of General Practice, 46(407), 361-362. Donohoe, M., Danielson, S. (2004). A community-based approach to the medical humanities. Medical Education, 38 (2), 204-217. Dornan, T., Littlewood, S., Margolis, SA., Scherpbier, A., Spencer, J., Ypinazar, V. (2006). How can experience in clinical and community settings contribute to early medical education? A BEME systematic review. Medical Teacher. 28(1), 3-18. Fox, N.J., Joesburry, H., Hannay, D.R. (1991). Family attachment and medical sociology: a valuable partnership for student learning. Medical Education, 25(2), 155- 159. Howe, A. (2001). Patient-centered medicine through student-centered teaching: a student perspective on the key impacts of community-based learning in undergraduate medical education. Medical Education. 35(7), 666-672. Marijke, M., Kuyvenhoven, MM., Eijzenbach, V., Tencate, O.T. (2001). The Students Follow Patient Program: Students Attending Patients with Chronic Disease in their Homes. Academic Medicine, 76 (5), 567. Orbell, S., Abraham, C. (1993). Behavioral sciences and the real world: report of a community interview scheme for medical students. Medical Education, 27(3), 218 - 28. Prislin, M.D, Morrison, E., Giglio, M., Truong, P., Radecki, S. (2001). Patients' perceptions of medical students in a longitudinal family medicine clerkship. Family Medicine, 33 (3), 187 - 191. Stacy, R., Spencer, J. (1999). Patients as teachers: a qualitative study of patients' views on their role in a community-based undergraduate project. Medical Education, 33(9): 688-694. Williamson, C., Wilkie, P. (1997). Teaching medical students in general practice: respecting patients' rights. British Medical Journal, 315, 1108-1109.