Terese Stenfors

Globally, ADHD is one of the most common reasons medical students request accommodations during their education. Students with ADHD report facing numerous barriers in the educational environment, along with a higher prevalence of mental health challenges compared to their peers. At the same time, stigma surrounding disabilities contributes to a reluctance to disclose their diagnosis openly, making it harder for them to access support. Recent reports from Karolinska Institutet (KI) confirm that students with neurodevelopmental disorders face significant obstacles in their education, often exacerbated by factors such as ethnicity and gender. Despite being the fastest-growing group among medical students with disabilities, there is still a lack of studies focusing on their experiences and support needs. Our project aims to fill this knowledge gap and contribute to a more inclusive, accessible, and health-promoting medical education. This aligns with KI’s overarching strategies, the goals of Agenda 2030, and current legislation by increasing understanding of the barriers, challenges, and success factors encountered by medical students with ADHD. Our scientific approach is based on qualitative interviews with medical students and their educators. Using phenomenographic analysis within a critical norm and intersectional framework, we aim to capture the variation in students’ experiences and how these intersect with different norms and identities. Our goal is that the results will inform the development of educational initiatives and strategies for a more inclusive medical education, improved student well-being, and – in the long term – enhanced quality in healthcare delivery. This project is pioneering in Sweden and has the potential to shape future learning activities in medical education. The outcomes will benefit not only current and future students but also educators and the broader healthcare system.

Aim & Background Patients are increasingly involved in many aspects of healthcare, both in their own care with growing attention towards patient-centredness, but also in the education of health professionals. While there has been some focus on patient involvement in formal, campus-based educational activities, there is a lack of research on patient involvement in clinical education. This project aims to explore the role of patients in workplace-based learning of undergraduate students. The central research question is how students learn from patients in the clinical workplace, and how such learning can be fostered? Design & Methods Study I is a phenomenographic study using individual interviews to explore how students, patients and supervisors understand the role of patients in student learning. Study II uses activity theory and observations of student-patient interactions to explore how students and patients interact in clinical practice, how this is influenced by the clinical context, and how it influences student learning. Study III will explore transferability of findings to other educational programmes within healthcare. Implications for education Patients have important experiences of illness and healthcare which in unique ways can contribute to students’ learning and professional development. By better understanding the role of patients in the clinical education, we can systematically work towards developing, supporting and sustaining patient participation in all aspects of health professions education, from undergraduate level to lifelong learning, emphasizing patients as the core of healthcare

Research problem and specific questionsThe overall aim of the project is to increase primary care professional’s ability to identify individuals exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). The specific questions are: a) To what extent do the following three interventions contribute to identify potential victims of IPV: (1) the use of a standardized questionnaire that screens exposure to IPV, (2) staff using tailored virtual patients for clinical training on IPV and (3) a combination of interventions 1 and 2? b) Which intervention do primary care professionals experience as most effective in increasing the ability to identify and respond to victims of IPV? Data and methodThe project will evaluate the effects of three different interventions that can be assumed to increase the health care staff´s ability to identify people who are exposed IPV. The project has a quasi-experimental design. Participating care units are divided into three interventions: 1) a standardized questionnaire to patients, 2) virtual patients tailored to health professionals, and 3) a combination of 1 and 2. Pre-and post-measurement of the health professionals identification of patients exposed to IPV will will be used to explore the effect of the interventions. Focus group interviews with the participating health professionals will be a qualitative complement, in terms of what intervention they experience as the most effective in increasing the ability to identify victims of IPV Plan for project realisationThe project is a multi-professional collaboration between clinicians and researchers within Region Stockholm, Karolinska Institutet, and Stockholm University. The competence in the group is cross-professional with expertise in health and violence, medical pedagogics as well as the development, assessment, and implementation of virtual patients and interactive, digital platforms. Above all, funding is sought for one Phd- student. Relevance The high incidence of psychosocial and physical health problems among people exposed to IPV leads to frequent presentations at health services. Given the high prevalence of IPV and the associated medical consequences and costs of IPV, it is critical to address this public health problem. Our goal is that this project will contribute with tools to identify more individuals exposed to IPV and that the project can serve as a basis for improving national strategies on IPV.

The here proposed graduate school for teachers in HPE is a collaboration between Linköping University (LiU), Karolinska Institutet, (KI) and Stockholm University (SU), all offering programs for health professions education in all areas relevant to health care practice. The constellation of partners brings together Sweden´s leading health professions education researchers, contributing different theoretical and methodological perspectives into the Graduate School. All three sites also offer access to strong research environments in different subject matter areas and have clear international collaborations and opportunities for international exchange for doctoral students.   The objective is to strengthen the research connection for teachers in health professions education (HPE).  The integrative approach of the graduate school adds scientific value through offering a unique profile of research combining subject knowledge and pedagogical knowledge, that can be integrated into HPE and in clinical practice. The outcome of the graduate school will be teachers in HPE with profound knowledge in a relevant subject matter in combination with a research-based understanding of how this subject matter should be organized to best support learning, in education and in clinical practice. These qualifications are needed for high quality in teaching, design, organization, and leadership in HPE. The graduate school will attract doctoral students from all certified health professions.