Educational Effects of Collaborative Teaching on Medical Students' Perception of Patient-Centered Care: A Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Patient-centered care (PCC) has attracted attention in healthcare due to its association with improved health-related quality of life. However, medical students and physicians hold less favorable attitudes toward PCC than other healthcare professionals. This is probably because physicians are the sole educators of medical students and they have limitations in teaching about patient background, an essential element of PCC. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an interprofessional joint lesson on PCC with medical social workers (MSWs) who bridge medical and social aspects of care. Methods: Using a mixed-methods design, we implemented an interprofessional collaborative teaching session on PCC for 123 fourth-year medical students co-facilitated by an MSW and a general practitioner (GP). Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using inductive content analysis to identify codes, categories, and themes. Pre- and post-intervention quantitative data were analyzed using paired Results: There was a significant pre-post increase in students' ability to explain PCC-related perceptions. Content analysis revealed 284 codes generated from interviews, which were aggregated into nine categories and four themes: exploring health, disease, and illness experience; understanding the whole person; reaching a common understanding; and enhancing the patient-physician relationship. Conclusions: Incorporating MSWs into medical education can improve medical students' understanding of PCC. Moreover, this collaborative teaching model is comprehensive and addresses the clinical and social aspects of patient care, providing a holistic healthcare perspective.