User and carer involvement and engagement in direct teaching and student admissions activities on the University campus stopped in March 2020 . However , strategic involvement of users and carers in programme development continued , but in an online format ( mostly using Microsoft Teams ) or by telephone .
In the 2020-2021 academic year , user and carer involvement and engagement in direct teaching has resumed where possible , although in an online format . Users and carers have still talked about their experiences of using health services , living with one or more health conditions , or taking or receiving medicines and other treatments . In some teaching sessions , this has been achieved in a synchronous format on Microsoft Teams so that students can ask questions at the time . For example , a session with a patient on ‘ life after stroke ’ for physiotherapy students is now conducted in a synchronous online format . In other teaching sessions , asynchronous formats have been preferred .
Patient volunteers have also participated in telephone and video interviews to help students practice their patient interviewing skills . For example , 72 patient volunteers conducted 86 telephone interviews and 86 online interviews with first year medical students . An evaluation of this found that students reported the experience as being valuable and helpful in improving their confidence and communication skills , and in giving insight into patients ’ lived experience of chronic illness . The patient volunteers reported enjoying doing the interviews and that they valued helping support students ' learning .
User and carer involvement in student admissions has also moved to an online format . For example , 22 user and carer interviewers supported over 700 online interviews for undergraduate medicine between December and February 2021 . The users and carers were trained on how to conduct these interviews on Microsoft Teams and the staff involved reported that all of the users and carers coped admirably with the technology . However , logistical constraints have prevented user and carer activity in student admissions resuming elsewhere in the Faculty , but this is planned to restart as soon as possible .
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