Art-based observational training for medical students and surgical residents in two Dutch museums

Background

Art-based education is gaining interest in the medical field, particularly in specialties with a strong visual focus. Visual arts are increasingly used for the development of observational skills and social competencies. While content and objectives of art-based programs widely differ across medical faculties in the Netherlands, the diverse range of options underscore the interest in and the potential of this educational approach. In this report, we explore the value of art-based observational training for medical students and surgical residents in two prominent Dutch museums in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, respectively.

Methods

Our program, conducted at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and Depot Boijmans van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam engaged medical students (n=24) and surgeons (in training) (n=66) in an interactive workshop focused on art observation led by an experienced art-educator and a clinical professional. Learning objectives were defined and a post-workshop questionnaire was devised to evaluate participants' perceptions, with a specific focus on contribution of the program to professional development.

Results

Both residents and surgeons acknowledged that the program had a positive impact on their professional skills. The program learned them to postpone their judgements and contributed to the awareness of their personal bias. Notably, medical students believed in the program's potential contribution to their professional development. Surgeons were more critical in their evaluation, emphasizing the challenge of sustainable improvement of skills within the limited duration of the course.

Conclusions

An interactive art-based medical education program was offered to medical students, PhD students, house officers, surgical residents and surgeons in two well known Dutch museums. Participants expressed enthusiasm for the innovative educational approach they experienced at the museums. They learned about the importance of critical observation in their professional work, handling of ambiguity and got the opportunity to practice both observational and communicational skills in a creative manner. The findings indicate that medical students and surgical residents can benefit from art-based observational training, using art as a vehicle to develop their professional competencies.

Science and visual Arts: Binomial or Dichotomy? A Pilot study in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients

Scientific literature demonstrated the impairment in cognitive/executive functions and pragmatic language in SLE patients, potentially involving also asymptomatic subjects. The present study focuses on the assessment in an SLE cohort of emotional intelligence, which is an ability regulated by the network of the executive functions, cognitive abilities involved in the initiation, planning, organization, and regulation of achievement-oriented behaviors: with emotional. Thus, emotional intelligence, defined as the ability to reason with emotions, was evaluated in a SLE cohort diagnosed according to the 1997 American College of Rheumatology criteria. As control healthy subjects were enrolled. The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT), a skill-scale that measures the ability to perform tasks and solve emotional problems, was administered to patients and controls. Second, a group of SLE patients underwent the Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) method in order to assess the potential impact of art in cognitive skills like critical thinking, problem solving, and emotional intelligence quotient. The protocol also included the evaluation of the improvement of some skills using a validated VTS skill grid. Self-reported scales for anxiety and depression were performed to rule out the influence of mood disorders on emotional intelligence. The present study demonstrated similar quotient scores of emotional intelligence in SLE patients and healthy controls. Furthermore, VTS method could help in improving this cognitive ability in patients, by implementing critical thinking and problem solving, promoting empathy, and improving tolerance to ambiguity and relational capacity.

Using Visual Thinking Strategies to Support Development of Pharmacy Student Competency in Person-Centered Care

Objective. To evaluate the introduction of 10 Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) sessions into year 2 of a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) program with the aim of assisting students in developing the skills and attitudes required for inclusive practice.Methods. The evaluation used a cross-sectional study design. All members of the first two successive student cohorts to complete multiple VTS sessions completed a 38-item online reflective questionnaire exploring student perceptions of competency development, transference, and session acceptability. Students were asked for their consent to include their responses in a research study. Closed-question responses were analyzed to produce descriptive statistics. Free-text responses were categorized and quantified using an inductive approach and manifest content analysis.Results. Fifty-six percent of the students (98 of 174) allowed their responses to be included in the study. Students generally believed the sessions had supported their development of person-centred communication, cultural competence, and critical thinking skills. The minimum level of agreement that improvement in an area occurred was 74.5%. Free-text responses revealed the perception of additional skill and attitude development. Sixty percent of participants had thought about the VTS questions or used what they had learned in the VTS sessions in other settings. Eighty-six percent of students agreed that content on VTS should remain in the BPharm curriculum.Conclusion. Incorporating regular VTS sessions into the second year of a BPharm program was acceptable to students. Data suggest that inclusion of multiple VTS sessions is a valuable addition to the pharmacy curriculum, offering affective learning experiences which support development and transference of key skills and attitudes relating to the provision of inclusive person-centred care.

Art for improving skills in medical education: the validation of a scale for measuring the Visual Thinking Strategies method

BACKGROUND

The skills needed in the medical and nursing field are considered both for the cognitive and the personal and interpersonal aspects. There are many studies that suggest using artistic practices and pedagogical methods such as Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) or Artful Thinking in the medical education. The main aim of this research is to validate a grid to evaluate impact of art activities for improving skills in medical education sector.

METHODS

The VTSkill grid was created by research group of Sapienza University, selecting the relevant dimension on the basis of literature analysis. To evaluate the validity and reliability, the grid was used in a quasi-experimental study involving the pediatric ward personnel, the nursing and medicine course students of Sapienza University of Rome. This analytic rubric was used to evaluate the written assessment form, composed by open-ended basic question related to the VTS method, administered in association with two images, a work of art and a clinical image. The Number of responders of the validation study was 105.

RESULTS

Although obtained from a small sample, both construct validity and reliability analysis showed coherent and statistically significant results. On one hand, the construct validity results showed a relationship path consistent with the hypothesised one derived from previous literature, with relevant p-values (n = 78). On the other hand, the VTSkill reliability was first analysed through the inter-rater evaluation data. This reliability coefficient showed a high degree of convergence of judgments between different evaluators on both image data (n = 55), with statistically significant values ranging from good (r = .77) up to excellent for objectively observable items (r = 1). Similarly, the test-retest reliability coefficients calculated for both clinical and artwork image data resulted statistically significant (n = 95), although ranging from weak to adequate entity (up to r = .77).

CONCLUSIONS

Taking into account the high degree of coherence and the stability of measurement of VTSkill in combination with its consistent construct validity, this study suggest the opportunity to implement this measurement tool to research the effect of VTS protocol in future investigations on the field. Therefore, the results of this study will constitute the basis to collect further evidences on how arts-based learning methods can contribute in medical education to improve skills suitable to the health professionals.

Visual art instruction in medical education: a narrative review

The humanities have been increasingly incorporated into medical school curricula in order to promote clinical skills and professional formation. To understand its current use, we reviewed the literature on visual arts training in medical education, including relevant qualitative and quantitative data. Common themes that emerged from this review included a focus on preclinical students; instruction promoting observation, diagnostic skills, empathy, team building, communication skills, resilience, and cultural sensitivity. Successful partnerships have involved local art museums, with sessions led primarily by art educators employing validated pedagogy such as Visual Thinking Strategies or Artful Thinking. There is evidence that structured visual arts curricula can facilitate the development of clinical observational skills, although these studies are limited in that they have been single-institution reports, short term, involved small numbers of students and often lacked controls. There is a paucity of rigorous published data demonstrating that medial student art education training promotes empathy, team building, communication skills, wellness and resilience, or cultural sensitivity. Given these concerns, recommendations are offered for fostering more robust, evidence-based approaches for using visual arts instruction in the training of medical students.