The Impact of an Interactive Art Session on Resident Physicians' Views Towards Treating Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Qualitative Analysis.
Jessica Solomon Sanders, Elizabeth Paschal, Brooke Dorsey
PMID 42422894WHAT IT FOUND
Residents who made art with artists with IDD said the informal setting removed the doctor-patient power dynamic, letting them practice conversation without medical pressure.
They recognized their own tendency to default to the caregiver and saw the person rather than the diagnosis.
Key findings
01Residents described interacting with people with IDD outside a clinical setting as helping them understand how these individuals typically function and communicate, which they said would make them more prepared for clinical encounters.
02Several residents identified a pattern of defaulting to the caregiver during clinical encounters and described the art session as a reminder to focus their attention on the patient directly and to reframe questions to connect with the person.
03Participants attributed the ease of interaction to the informal, activity-based format that removed the physician-patient hierarchy, and several said they would use a shared activity as a connection tool in future clinical encounters with patients with IDD.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
Small sample of 18 residents from a single institution in one geographic area, limiting how far the findings can be generalised. Participants were mostly white, non-Hispanic, female, and in PGY 2, so the group is not representative of all residents. Interviews were conducted within a year of the session; the authors did not assess whether the reported comfort changes were sustained over time or whether they translated into improved quality of care for patients with IDD. This is a qualitative study of self-reported experiences; it does not measure a change in comfort or in patient outcomes, and the themes describe what participants said they felt, not a demonstrated effect.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The art sessions were conducted in partnership with Access Gallery, a community organization that employs artists with IDD, but no funding source is named in the text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the residents' positive descriptions as evidence that the art session improves physician comfort or patient care. This is a qualitative study of 18 self-reported experiences at one institution; the authors themselves note they did not evaluate sustained attitude change or improved quality of care, and the themes capture what participants said they felt, not a measured outcome.