CLINICAL EDUCATION
By- Divya
Swati
Sanjeev
Prakriti
INTRODUCTION:
• Clinical Education is the application portion of the professional PT/OT
program.
• Experiences at various clinical facilities will assist in integrating the
classroom material and applying that knowledge to various patient
populations and settings.
• It is the philosophy of the School of Physical Therapy & Occupational
Therapy to insure that every graduate is well prepared to enter the
profession as a generalist.
• Therefore, during clinical education, we will be expected to select a
variety of practice settings for clinical experiences.
• Each of the five clinical education courses is graded on a credit/no
credit basis.
• Specific objectives and grading criteria are required and are distributed
prior to each course.
• Credit is received when all the grading criteria have been completed.
• Seminars are associated with each clinical education course and
attendance is part of the grading criteria.
• The Director of Clinical Education (DCE) is the faculty member
responsible for coordinating the clinical education program.
Health and Insurance Requirements for
Clinical Education
• Health history and record of immunizations.
• Measles vaccination, mumps, tetanus and completed Hepatitis B vaccination
series.
• Valid CPR Certification
• Proof of malpractice liability insurance (fee included in tuition payment)
• Proof of medical insurance including emergency care
• TB screening test and/or health clearance
• Proof of knowledge of blood borne pathogens
• NOTE: All these items must be current during the entire academic program.
• Criminal background screens and drug screens will be conducted
during the first semester of the program.
• The cost of these screens is kept as low as possible and is the
responsibility of the student.
• For many clinical sites, successfully "passing" the screens conducted
at this time will be sufficient;
• However, some clinical sites may require a more current screen. In this
case, the student is responsible for the arrangement and the cost of the
additional testing.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
The available professional services in the health care system of our country vary from region to
region. The range of health services differ between an urban and rural area. In the urban areas there
are service personnel such as specialist's doctors, general physicians, nursing care, physiotherapy,
occupational therapy, speech & hearing therapists, home care attendants etc, whereas in the rural
areas these services may be limited. In the rural areas generally, there are health care providers such
as general physicians, nursing aids, and attendants. In remote areas the health care system in
dependent upon Anganwadi workers, and health assistants in the form of ASHAs.
• PATIENT EDUCATION
Patient education is the process by which health professionals and other impart information to
patients that will alter their health behaviours or improve their health status. Education providers
may include; physicians, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, pharmacists, medical social
workers, psychologists, NGOs and pharmaceutical companies.
The aim of patient education is to enable the patient to acquire skills to manage himself/herself to the
maximum extent possible and to seek medical advice when appropriate.
Proper patient education provides the following outcomes:
• Improved understanding of medical condition, diagnosis, disease or disability.
• Improved understanding of methods and means to manage multiple aspects of medical condition.
• Patients feel you have provided the information they needed.
• Patients can utilize medical services effectively.
• Patients feel satisfied and they may refer other patients.
• Patients have realistic expectations.
EDUCATION OF THE PRACTITIONERS
• Improves the clinical competence of general practitioners.
• Improves the quality of health care services.
• It informs them of new inventions, technologies.
• Live events or workshops, seminars, conferences.
• Written publications in the form of newsletters, journals, handouts etc.
• Online programs.
• Audio recordings.
• Video recordings.
• Develops the concept of evidence-based practice.
• Other electronic media.
In some cases, it is required on a continuous basis in order to retain the license to practice in which
case it is called continuing medical education.
TYPES OF CLINICAL PRACTICE
SETTINGS:
• Acute care with various specialty areas (neuro/ortho trauma, ICU,
wound care, etc.)
• Rehabilitation centers/institutes
• Outpatient clinics
• Pediatric hospitals/clinics
• Wellness and Performance Arts centers
• Women’s health clinics
• Industrial medicine centers
• Sports medicine clinics
• Skilled nursing/Extended care facilities
• Home health services
• Transitional living centers
• Public school settings
• Public health facilities
• Research Centers
THE ROLES AND RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLASSROOM AND CLINICAL
TEACHING TO THE NEW EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS
Objective:
• • To help reshape our current educational theories and integrate them into the new
educational standards proposed by the NATA Educational Council and the
CAAHEP’s Joint Review Committee- Athletic Training (JRC-AT)
Background:
Current practice:
• • 800 clinical hour requirement
• • Various clinical environments
• • Meet JRC-AT standards
• • Meet NATABOC requirements
Influences on Education:
• NATA Athletic Training Educational Competencies (3rd edition)
- Guide for course structure and content
• Athletic Training Clinical Proficiencies
-Included in competencies
-The proficiencies can be downloaded from the web(www.cewl.com)
Clinical Education Coordinator:
• Clinical Instructor Educator (CIE) will teach course to prepare
Approved Clinical Instructors (ACI)
• Duties typically include:
– Assigning student’s clinical experiences
– Evaluating and visiting affiliated sites
– Recruiting new affiliated sites
– Contact person for clinical instructors
– Clinical Instructor education
• The Department of Clinical Education Services administers and
coordinates all fieldwork experiences for teaching credentials and their
related master’s degree programs.
• Clinical Education ensures that the content, professional standards,
knowledge, skills and dispositions are applied in appropriate and
diverse school settings.
• Students gain practical experience under the supervision of
experienced professionals in the field.
• Students are given opportunities which offer them a multitude of
experiences at various grade levels and with diverse student
populations.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN CLINICAL EDUCATION
Clinical education should:
• Enable students to link theory with practice.
• Enable students to take an active role within the clinical site.
• Promote satisfaction for both students and clinical educators regarding the clinical experience.
• Be mutually beneficial to students and clinical educators, i.e.; students gain experience whereas clinical
educators help in managing patients.
• Be accepted as an essential part of professional growth for both students and clinical educators.
• Occur in a positive learning environment.
Students are expected to:
• Take responsibility for their learning experience and the direction of that experience in partnership with
clinical educators, clinical coordinators and college principal.
• Do preparatory readings before and during the clinical experience.
• Always upholds the codes of ethics (professional association, professional regulatory body, clinical site,
university programme).
• Comply with clinical site hospital and college policies and procedures.
• Increase their understanding of and promote the roles and functions of occupational therapy.
• Develop competencies for the application of the occupational therapy process.
• Develop increased confidence and competence in their practice of occupational therapy.
Clinical educators are expected to:
• Offer a welcoming environment, a comprehensive orientation and provide space for students use,
as available within the site's resources.
• Offer a positive and comprehensive learning environment to enable student development within
the core competencies required for occupational therapy practice.
• Offer regular and timely feedback based on student performance, including recommendations for
improvement.
• Clearly inform students of what is expected of them, appropriately grade responsibilities and
expectations and be available to students to offer appropriate supervision.
• Meet with students to discuss and evaluate their performance at the mid-term and end of the
clinical education experience.
PATIENT EDUCATION: TEACHING
TOOLS
• Brochures and flyers remain most common vehicle for patient education. But
multimedia, interactive programs also are helping you educate patients and
improve case acceptance.
• While there may be differing opinions in the industry as to how best educate your
patients, one thing is certain: patient education is indeed a critical component of a
thriving practice.
• We can show patients a model, hand them a brochure, mail them a flyer, or have
them view an interactive DVD program with a staff member.
• We can send them home with a DVD or ask them to visit Web site to learn more
about their treatment options. Storybooks with dental themes and children's activity
sheets are popular with young patients.
• But whether we are using all or some of the above-mentioned methods, we know by now
just how important it is to have a well-educated patient.
• How can a patient make a decision–one that may be quite expensive–without knowing the
benefits of treatment, and sometimes even more importantly, the consequences of non-
treatment
• Educated patients can lead to better treatment acceptance, higher comfort levels, and
improved compliance.
• Not every practice has a monitor in the reception area; not every operatory is
computerized. But 2006 DPR Survey on Patient Education indicates that on average,
dentists say they spend 14% of their chair time involved in some form of patient education.
• The results of instruction efforts may not always lead to case acceptance. But at the very
least, they should always leave the patient completely informed on treatment options as
well as the consequences of not going through with the suggested care.
• Even most doctors who've invested in DVD interactive patient
education programs to be viewed in the reception room and/or chair
side or in a consultation room admit to using other methods to
reinforce their messages. Sometimes it's just printing brochures from
the programs themselves.
• CAESY, Consult-Pro dental patient education software, and other
available services allow users to create customized materials to send
home with the patients.
• According to the survey the most popular form of patient education
used is pamphlets/brochures for patients.
• Pamphlets/brochures for parents came next at 62%, with life-size or
over-size models of dentition, gingiva or restorations the next most
popular at 58%.
• Also used by at least four out of 10 of our readers are the following
patient education media: flyers (50%), intraoral camera "tours" of the
patient's mouth (48%), life-size or over-size instructional models of
toothbrushes and floss (46%), before & after photo albums of patients
treated in the practice (46%), and children's story books with dental
themes (41%).
• Almost one-third of the respondents use a practice Web site to educate
patients, and similar percentages of PT/OT indicate the use of posters,
magazines, and/or before-and-after stock photo albums.
• One-fourth (25%) of you are using DVD interactive programs.
• Fans of interactive programs state that the clear, consistent
presentations make all the difference in the world.
• No longer do doctors have to try and draw pictures to explain a root
canal or other procedure, and no longer do various staff members need
to try and remember every detail when explaining a case to a patient.
• Instead of getting different variations of explanations from various
team members, patients can get the same clear message from one well-
done presentation.
Clinical-Education–Setting Standards
• 1. The clinical-education setting provides an active, stimulating
environment appropriate for the learning needs of the student.
(Learning Environment)
• 2. Clinical-education programs for students are planned to meet
specific objectives of the educational program and the individual
student. (Program Planning)
• 3. The clinical-education setting has a variety of learning experiences
available to students. (Learning Experiences)
• 4. The Clinical Instructors practice ethically and legally.
(EthicalStandards)
• 5. The clinical-education setting demonstrates administrative interest
in and support of athletic training clinical education (Administrative
Support)
• 6. Communications within the clinical-education setting are effective
and positive. (Effective Communications)
• 7. The Clinical Instructors are adequate in number to provide a good
educational program for students. (Staff Number)
• 8. One Clinical Instructor with specific qualifications is responsible
for coordinating the assignments and activities of
• the students at the clinical setting. (Setting Coordinator of Clinical
Education)
• 9. Clinical Instructors are selected based on specific criteria. (Clinical
Instructor Selection)
• 10. Clinical Instructors apply the basic principles of education—
teaching and learning—to clinical education. (Principles
• of Teaching and Learning)
• 11. The Clinical Instructors are interested and active in professional
associations related to athletic training. (Professional Associations)
• 12. Adequate space for study, conference, and treating athletes/patients
is available to students. (Adequate Space)
Benefits of clinical education
• Clinical education in occupational therapy offers several benefits to students,
educators, clients, and the profession as a whole:
Hands-on Learning: Clinical education provides students with practical, real-world
experience that complements their classroom learning. This hands-on approach helps
students develop and refine their clinical skills.
Professional Development: Students have the opportunity to develop professional skills
such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. They also learn about ethical
and legal considerations in healthcare.
Exposure to Diverse Populations: Clinical placements expose students to a wide range
of clients with varying needs, backgrounds, and conditions. This diversity helps students
become more culturally competent and prepares them to work with diverse populations
in their careers.
Application of Theory to Practice: Clinical education allows students to
apply theoretical concepts learned in the classroom to real-world situations.
This integration of theory and practice is essential for developing clinical
reasoning skills.
Feedback and Mentoring: Students receive feedback and guidance from
experienced clinicians, which helps them improve their skills and develop
professionally. This mentoring relationship is valuable for students as they
navigate their education and early careers.
Contribution to Client Care: Students contribute to client care under
supervision, providing valuable services to clients while gaining experience.
This interaction also benefits clients by increasing the availability of services.
Professional Networking: Clinical placements allow students to
network with professionals in the field, which can lead to job
opportunities and mentorship in the future.
Enhanced Job Readiness: Clinical education prepares students for
entry into the workforce by providing them with the skills and
experience needed to succeed as occupational therapists.
Evidence-Based Practice: Students learn to use evidence-based
practice in their clinical decision-making, integrating the best available
evidence with their clinical expertise and client values. They learn to
critically evaluate research and apply it to practice.
Assessment and Documentation: Students learn to assess clients'
needs, develop intervention plans, and document their work in a clear
and concise manner. They learn to use standardized assessments and
other tools to gather information and track progress.
Defining Clinical Education: Parallels in Practice (journal)
• What is commonly understood by the term ‘clinical education’? Despite the attraction of a ‘one size fits all’
approach, the concept of clinical education is approached differently in diverse disciplines, which may give
rise to pedagogical uncertainty. Clinical education in higher education institutions, previously understood to
apply exclusively to health professional disciplines, is no longer the sole domain of medicine and health
sciences. Instead, it has evolved into an educational model adopted by multiple disciplines to create and
implement experiential learning opportunities for students. For example, in the discipline of law it has given
rise to law clinics where students are able to deal with real-life clients and obtain professional experience in
interviewing and drafting legal letters and documents under close practitioner supervision. In other areas,
such as psychology, clinical education has been implemented as an integral part of the educational model
through university clinics and external placements that provide the opportunity to practice clinical skills
under conditions of supervision prior to becoming registered as an independent practitioner.
• This paper examines the definition of ‘clinical education’ in the diverse disciplines of medicine, law and
psychology by drawing on available literature and industry practice, and compares and distinguishes the
understanding and application of the term in these areas. It further considers whether a cross-disciplinary
approach may enhance and inform practices in different disciplines.
• Conclusion
• Clinical education is an essential element in the training of professionals in law, medicine and psychology.
There are some commonalities in the training of these professionals which supports the recognition of the
importance of clinical education to assist students in applying the academic education to the ‘real world’ of
clients and patients. However, more can be done to promote interdisciplinary clinical education between these
three professions which would serve to enhance overall training in all three areas. It is these areas which this
Journal hopes to promote by providing a dedicated forum for discussion of clinical education across
professions. Furthermore, it is hoped that these discussions will lead to recognition of good practice that can
be applied across disciplines and as an avenue for exploring interdisciplinary collaborations and synergies.
References:
1. Professionalism in physical therapy-History, practice and
development.2005.
2. Mori B. Clinical Education in the Health Professions. Physiother Can. 2015.
3. Defining clinical education: Parallels in practice
Francina Cantatore, Linda Crane and Deborah Wilmoth.
4. Clinical education of occupational therapy students: reluctant clinical educators
Patricia De Witt et. al., South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, (2015)
THANK YOU
