Health Mentors Program Launched for Physiotherapy Students in Lausanne, Switzerland!

In 2024, the School of Health Sciences (HESAV), HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (UAS), in Lausanne has introduced an exciting approach to patient-centered education in physiotherapy based on UBC’s Health Mentors program. Building on four years of experience with patient instructors in neurological physiotherapy education, this new teaching approach addresses chronic illness from the patient’s perspective.

“Students will embrace the complexity of managing chronic disease from the patient’s perspective. They will also learn both with and about the patient’s journey through the healthcare system,” says Félicia Bielser, PhD Assistant (UAS), HES.

Forty-eight students in the final year of their bachelor’s degree will learn alongside nine patient mentors about critical topics such as “Living with a Chronic Disease”, “Care Teams and Person-Centered Care”, “Sharing Health Information”, and “Partnership, Collaboration, and Shared Decision-Making”. The student groups (5-6 students per group) will meet their respective mentors for three 1.5-hour sessions in total. Following each session, students submit an individual reflective journal and receive personalized feedback from dedicated teachers. A wrap-up discussion will take place after the final session during which students will reflect on their key takeaways and integrate them into their broader learning journey.

The two first sessions have already been held, and the third will take place in January 2025. Initial informal feedback from mentors and students has been overwhelmingly positive. A scientific evaluation of this project is underway, and program leaders eagerly await the findings, which will offer valuable insights into the impact of this innovative approach in physiotherapy education. Stay tuned!