Providing Care to People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Medical Education.
A virtual exam with IDD patient-educators quickly makes medical students feel ready to treat this population.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Lunsky et al. (2024) ran a virtual exam for medical students. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities played the patients.
Before and after the online test, students rated how ready they felt to care for these patients.
What they found
After the virtual exam, students said they felt much more able and comfortable caring for people with IDD.
How this fits with other research
Callahan et al. (2022) already showed adults with NDD can learn Zoom skills through group BST. Olivia’s team flips the camera: the same tech now trains the doctors, not the patients.
Zhao et al. (2024) proved teachers in Taiwan can master DTT through remote train-the-trainer lessons. Olivia adds medical students to the list of helpers who can gain skill without flying to a classroom.
Anonymous (2021) used two-hour online modules to lift direct-care staff knowledge about palliative care. Olivia mirrors the short, web-based format, but swaps topic from end-of-life care to everyday clinical exams.
Why it matters
You can borrow the virtual OSCE model for your own staff training. Record adults with IDD acting as mock clients. Have staff practice rapport, plain-language explanations, and consent steps on Zoom. A one-hour session can boost confidence before real clients arrive.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Medical professionals commonly report having inadequate training providing care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This pilot study aimed to address this gap through a virtual Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) with individuals with IDD as patient educators for 25 first- and second-year medical students (OSCE participants). Quantitative data through the Prediger competency scale and qualitative data through a semistructured interview were analyzed. OSCE participants reported a significant increase (p < 0.05) in self-perceived competency scores when comparing pre- and post-OSCE scores. Qualitative analysis yielded themes corresponding to improving skills, practice considerations, and perspectives and biases changes. These results suggested that this virtual OSCE promoted the development of self-perceived clinical competency and comfort providing care for individuals with IDD.
American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2024 · doi:10.1352/1944-7558-129.6.476