A model for interprofessional health disparities education: student-led curriculum on chronic hepatitis B infection.
BACKGROUND
Although health disparities are commonly addressed in preclinical didactic curricula, direct patient care activities with affected communities are more limited.


OBJECTIVE
To address this problem, health professional students designed a preclinical service-learning curriculum on hepatitis B viral (HBV) infection, a major health disparity affecting the Asian/Pacific Islander (API) population, integrating lectures, skills training, and direct patient care at student-run clinics.


METHODS
An urban health professions campus.


METHODS
Medical and other health professional students at University of California, San Francisco, organized a preclinical didactic and experiential elective, and established two monthly clinics offering HBV screening, vaccination, and education to the community.


RESULTS
Between 2004 and 2009, 477 students enrolled in the student-led HBV curriculum. Since the clinics' inception in 2007, 804 patients have been screened for chronic HBV; 87% were API immigrants, 63% had limited English proficiency, and 46% were uninsured. Serologically, 10% were found to be chronic HBV carriers, 44% were susceptible to HBV, and 46% were immune.


CONCLUSIONS
Our student-led didactic and experiential elective can serve as an interprofessional curricular model for learning about specific health disparities while providing important services to the local community.
Sheu
Leslie C
LC
School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA. leslie.sheu@ucsf.edu
Toy
Brian C
BC
Kwahk
Emanuel
E
Yu
Albert
A
Adler
Joshua
J
Lai
Cindy J
CJ
D003479:Curriculum; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D017145:Models, Educational; D013336:Students, Health Occupations; D013337:Students, Medical