The Impact of Case Role Play on Medical Students in Addressing Social Determinants of Health

Context This study evaluates the effectiveness of case role play as an educational tool for integrating social determinants of health (SDOH) into medical training. Understanding SDOH is essential for delivering patient-centered care. Objective The primary objective is to assess whether case role play enhances medical students’ knowledge, skills, and comfort in addressing SDOH. The study aims to determine the effectiveness of this method in improving students’ understanding, knowledge acquisition, skill development, and comfort in handling SDOH-related issues. Design A mixed-methods approach is employed, combining qualitative and quantitative data. The study is conducted during a 4-hour session in the Family Medicine Clerkship at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC). Components include pre- and post-assessments, a lecture, interactive activities, and role play. Evaluation tools consist of surveys, scenario-based assessments, and peer evaluations. Setting The study is set at the UNTHSC campus during the Family Medicine Clerkship. Participants Approximately twenty medical students from the Family Medicine Clerkship at the HSC Health Pavilion participate, without exclusions based on gender, age, or ethnicity. Intervention Students engage in a structured case role play where they assume roles such as student doctor, patient, and evaluator. Scenarios are centered on incorporating SDOH into patient care. Outcome Measures Primary outcomes include students’ understanding, application of SDOH, knowledge acquisition, and skill development. Secondary outcomes measure comfort levels in addressing SDOH, evaluated through pre- and post-session surveys and scenario-based assessments. Results Preliminary results indicate significant improvements in SDOH-related competencies, with a two-tailed P value of less than 0.0001. The 95% confidence interval for the difference is from -0.78 to -0.31, reflecting a meaningful increase in students’ abilities. Conclusions Early findings suggest that case role play is a highly effective educational tool for enhancing competencies in SDOH, with potential to improve patient outcomes in family medicine.