Uniting the Formal and Informal Curriculum in a Behavioral and Social Science Int

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Uniting the Formal and Informal Curriculum in a Behavioral and Social Science Integrated Curriculum (BASSIC) II In the United States behavioral, social and psychological factors, such as a patient's diet, culture, support systems, prior life experiences and emotional responses, contribute to more than half of all causes of disease and death, including cancer, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and type II diabetes. Knowledge of these complex contributors to disease has important implications for clinical practice and physician education. Physicians must understand the behavioral and social scientific (BSS) foundations of health and illness and be able to effectively apply this knowledge in clinical interactions. BSS-informed clinical practice requires both enhanced skills and approaches to patient care that foster strong interpersonal interactions and healing relationships. Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) and the University of Missouri School of Medicine (MUSOM) propose to work in partnership to change the way they educate future physicians in order to better prepare medical students to effectively incorporate and apply knowledge of the behavioral and social foundations of health and illness in patient care. Building on the BSS educational infrastructures and patient/relationship-centered approaches to care already in place at each institution, the Schools intend to create and disseminate an innovative three tiered program. They will enhance their students' BSS curriculum with learning experiences designed to enable the development of a patient/relationship-centered approach to health care that facilitates the effective application of BSS knowledge in clinical interactions. This curriculum will include increased student observation and reflection on behavioral and social factors related to health. It will also provide opportunities for students to strengthen their abilities to identify and embody behaviors consistent with BSS-informed care. The curriculum will serve as a counterpoint to the well-recognized negative impact that the clinical environment (informal curriculum) can have on the development of student interest in the range of factors that impact patient health. To enable this expanded student education a range of faculty development opportunities will be created and implemented to ensure the faculty at both institutions have the capacity to model, facilitate student BSS reflections and development, and mentor. The third tier, a program for institutional review and quality improvement specific to BSS aspects of patient care, will bring together key data points that have not yet been considered in aggregate. The overall goal of the proposed project is to create an institutional environment and culture at IUSM and MUSOM that actively uses theory and practices from the social and behavior sciences to develop student, physician and institutional capacity for improved BSS-informed patient care.