Exploring patient involvement in obstetrics and gynaecology medical education: a scoping review

Abstract

Background: The benefit of patient involvement in medical education has been widely described. In particular, patient story-telling and sharing of personal experiences has been shown to increase study empathy and connection to patients. Patient involvement in obstetrics and gynaecology requires particular consideration with regard to patient dignity and autonomy. This scoping review aims to explore the context of patient involvement in medical education of this specialty to date, with a view to identifying gaps in the current provision of training and amplifying the patient voice and perspective in an ethical way. Methods: A search was carried out across nine databases to identify studies pertaining to patient involvement in medical education in obstetrics and gynaecology. Studies from 1960 to 2025 were included. Patient involvement was categorised according to Towle’s “Spectrum of patient involvement”. Benefits to students from patient involvement were examined. Details regarding patient recruitment, consent, compensation and debriefing were recorded in order to ascertain the ways in which patient safety and wellbeing was cared for in each study. Results: The search identified fifty-three studies for final analysis. Most studies detailed patient involvement with regard to the demonstration and teaching of pelvic examination (n = 48). Few studies gave details on patient consent for participation (n = 12). The benefits to students from patient contact were clear with the majority of studies showing benefits (n = 51) in terms of either examination skills, empathy levels or interpersonal skills development. Few studies referenced patient training (n = 11) prior to participation or patient debriefing (n = 7). Conclusion: To date, patient involvement in medical education in this specialty has been largely confined to the demonstration and teaching of pelvic examination skills. Given the rich and diverse experiences of those seeking care in obstetrics and gynaecology, improvements could be made to place more emphasis on personal experiences and education delivered by patients themselves. Patient consent and respect for patient well-being should be of paramount importance in the context of any involvement in medical education. Future initiatives involving patients should ensure to explicitly define and outline how the protection, dignity and well-being of patients is ensured throughout their involvement in educational programmes.