This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: St. Augustine health students simulate poverty to improve patient care
The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences recently hosted a Cost of Poverty Experience simulation for first-term of physical therapy doctoral students at its St. Augustine campus.
According to a news release, the immersive exercise offers future healthcare professionals’ insight into how social and economic barriers, like poverty, can influence access to healthcare and treatment plans.
Over the course of a month, students navigated paying rent, purchasing food, accessing healthcare and finding transportation within crises of losing access to medical care and medications, being evicted or having a family member arrested.
“The simulation reinforces that a patient’s health is shaped by far more than a diagnosis alone,” the news release said.
Factors that influenced seeking treatment included housing, transportation, food security and employment.
“Students are challenged to apply clinical reasoning, communication and problem-solving skills to complex, real-world situations, demonstrating that effective patient care extends well beyond clinical knowledge alone,” USAHS said. “By introducing these concepts early in students’ education, USAHS is preparing future clinicians to approach patient care with greater empathy, cultural awareness and a deeper understanding of the social and economic factors that influence health.”
Students are encouraged to become more compassionate, adaptable and patient-centered healthcare providers who can “build trust, deliver more individualized care and ultimately improve outcomes for the patients they will serve.”
“The COPE is an immersive way for our students to not just learn how to be a physical therapist, but to understand the importance of connecting themselves within a community,” USAHS instructor Garrett Mandel said. “The better connected they are, the better they may support future patients who live in poverty and lack necessary resources.”
