Time capsule medicine: a mixed-methods pilot study on immersive simulation for chronic disease education in medical students
File(s)clinpract-15-00078-v2.pdf (1.54 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Conte, Andreas
Jerjes, Waseem
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background: Chronic diseases require long-term and multidimensional care, but traditional medical education has emphasised acute care and episodic interventions. This gap limits the understanding of future clinicians about the complexity of managing chronic conditions over decades. This mix-methods quantitative-qualitative pilot study describes "Time Capsule Medicine", an innovative educational framework in which medical students acted out the progressive challenges that patients with chronic illnesses might face over a continuous period of 20 years. This paper aims to report the outcomes of this innovative educational technique. Methods: Thirty final-year medical students were engaged in the three-phase programme which included preparation, immersive simulation, and reflection and evaluation. The preparation consisted of online workshops in chronic disease progression, age-related changes, and continuity of care, while the immersive simulation featured appropriate role-play exercises in small groups that simulated the chronic disease process across four five-year increments. The reflection and evaluation consisted of debriefing sessions and reflective journals, while pre- and post-simulation questionnaires tested learning outcomes. The physical constraints included weighted garments with visual impairments simulating the age-related limitations. Results: A gender- and ethnically diverse cohort of thirty final-year medical students from three medical schools in North London participated in the programme. The simulation significantly enhanced students' confidence in managing long-term disease trajectories (pre-simulation score: 2.8 ± 0.9; post-simulation score: 4.3 ± 0.6; p < 0.01) and understanding of age-related challenges (from 3.1 ± 1.0 to 4.5 ± 0.5; p < 0.01). Empathy scores increased from 3.0 ± 0.9 to 4.7 ± 0.5 p < 0.01. The qualitative analysis showed an increased appreciation of the continuity of care, recognition of systemic barriers, and insights into the emotional burdens of chronic conditions. For many students, the simulation was transformative, changing the way they approached holistic, patient-centred care. Conclusions: This experiential learning approach has succeeded in effectively addressing one of the most important gaps known in traditional medical education in developing empathy, understanding, and confidence in the long-term management of chronic diseases. The integration of similar simulations into medical curricula may adequately arm future clinicians with the complexities of continuity of care and patient management. Further studies need to be performed exploring scalability and its impact on long-term clinical practice.
Date Issued
2025-04-01
Date Acceptance
2025-04-04
Citation
Clinics and Practice, 2025, 15 (4)
ISSN
2039-7283
Publisher
MDPI AG
Journal / Book Title
Clinics and Practice
Volume
15
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/40310311
Subjects
chronic disease
continuity of patient care
educational measurement
empathy
medical education
simulation training
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
Switzerland
Article Number
78
Date Publish Online
2025-04-09