Evaluation of Community Health Medical Education:The Elderly Home Visit Program

Abstract

Introduction: Research was carried out using a mixed method approach in order to evaluate the educational effects of medical students' visit of an elderly home.

Methods: Focus group interviews were conducted with 5 medical students and 5 elderlies. All interviewees had experienced the visitation program more than three times. Self-administrative questionnaires were built based on the results of the focus group interview. The questionnaire was then distributed to medical students and elderlies who participated in the program.

Results: A total of 84 medical students and 30 elderlies provided informed consent to participate in the study and returned the questionnaire. Nearly 70 percent of the students answered that they had gotten to know about the life of elderly people and sixty percent of the elderlies answered they had experienced some favorable changes after joining the program. While ninety percent of the elderly were satisfied with the program, only half of the students showed positive comments toward it.

Discussion: To help all students participate in this program more actively, more organized planning is necessary so that students can have more chances to build communication skills and clarify their own objectives when visiting the elderly.