Student Perceptions of Integrating Health Humanities in Interprofessional Education Simulation

Health humanities students participated in a healthcare simulation through the assumption of a novel role: that of the patient’s adult child. Students wrote about their experience with the simulation, and responses were coded and analyzed qualitatively. Dominant themes emerged from the analysis including anxiety reduction, increased understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the represented health professions, appreciation of the importance of culturally responsive communication, inclusivity, recognition of social determinants of health, and the ability to construct a complex narrative in relationship to various stimuli, situations, and characteristics. Participants reported overwhelmingly positive experiences, and the present study demonstrates the applicability of incorporating healthcare simulation into health humanities curriculum.