Evaluating and adapting an AAC Workshop within an undergraduate medical curriculum

Attitudes of healthcare professionals can be a barrier to disabled people accessing adequate healthcare. The University of Dundee’s Medical School developed and evaluated a pilot workshop on AAC for medical students in 2012. The challenge of integrating this type of training in medical education is important and is being addressed in Dundee where AAC is an integral part of undergraduate medical training.
Members of the StraightTalking AAC User Group (STG) play a central part in this training, initially engaging with students in small groups after a tutor delivered an ‘academic’ introductory lecture on AAC. However, as a result of a focus group held to discuss their views of the workshop, the volunteers are now actively involved in both the design and delivery of this lecture. The volunteers felt that having the lecture delivered by people who use AAC themselves would increase the impact of the workshop.
The results of the focus group will be presented together with a report on how the workshop has been redesigned with members of the STG and integrated into the medical training in Dundee. The presentation will also reflect on a workshop delivered at the 2015 UK Council of Clinical Communication’s conference on Communication Teaching in Undergraduate Medical Education.