Incorporating Lived Experience into Healthcare Education

The project, led by Dr Meg Keage and Ms Stephanie Weir (Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology) and Dr Charlotte Denniston (Collaborative Practice Centre), focuses on exploring best practice and understanding how lived experience is incorporated into curricula at the University of Melbourne.

The team is currently scoping literature to explore best practice in the involvement of lived experience experts in health professional education. Through survey collection and interview data from staff, alumni, and lived experience experts, the researchers are working to understand how lived experience expertise is currently being incorporated into teaching across MDHS. Barriers and enablers to incorporating lived experience perspectives in curricula will also be explored, in order to highlight opportunities for improvement.

The ultimate objective is to provide MDHS staff with guidance on processes to support the meaningful and safe involvement of lived experience experts in curriculum design and delivery across MDHS programs. This work will strengthen person-centred approaches in health professional training, align with national quality and safety standards, and ensure graduates are well prepared to deliver holistic care.

Seed funding from the Melbourne Disability Institute and Faculty is supporting this initiative.