Immediate self-reported learning outcomes after case-based learning and peer role-play in co-teaching by medical social workers and general practitioners: an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study

The post-COVID-19 period has highlighted the urgent need to reconnect primary care with community healthcare workers and restructure undergraduate medical education. By 2025, the Japanese government intended to establish a comprehensive community-based integrated care system focused on collaboration among community healthcare professionals. This study examined immediate changes in fourth-year medical students’ self-reported understanding after an interactive class co-taught by medical social workers (MSWs) and general practitioners in community-based integrated care systems. We included lectures, case-based learning, and peer role play for patients with complex social needs. We conducted an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study comprising a single-group pre-post educational evaluation with an immediate post-intervention assessment, followed by a qualitative analysis of free-description responses to examine immediate self-reported learning outcomes and students’ perceptions of the session. A total of 134 fourth-year medical students from the Fukushima Medical University attended the class. Pre- and post-class questionnaires using a 5-point Likert scale measured students’ understanding of the roles of MSWs and community-based integrated care systems. Qualitative data were collected through optional free-description responses after class, allowing deeper insight into students’ reflections. Deductive content analysis was performed to categorize the qualitative responses into themes and subcategories, providing a comprehensive view of students’ learning outcomes. Quantitative analyses were based on data from 111 students with complete paired pre-post responses that reflected immediate self-reported changes after the session. Immediately after the session, the students reported higher levels of understanding of MSWs’ roles and the community-based integrated care system. A total of 68 students provided optional, free-description responses. Deductive content analysis identified four themes: expertise and collaboration, learning strategies, clinical skills, and medical systems. The qualitative findings suggest that students gained a clearer understanding of the role of MSWs, importance of interprofessional collaboration, need to consider patient backgrounds in discharge planning, and relevance of community-based integrated care systems for sustainable care. This session was associated with improved immediate self-reported understanding of the roles of MSWs and community-based integrated care systems among medical students. The findings suggest that the students perceived the session as helping them appreciate the patient’s context, care sustainability, and interprofessional collaboration.