Implementation of family adoption programme at Maheshwara Medical College and Hospital - A Pilot Study of 2024-25 batch

Abstract

Background: The National Medical Commission (NMC) had recently included of the Family Adoption Programme (FAP) in the competency based medical education (CBME) curriculum, an innovative approach. It aims to offer Indian Medical Graduates a valuable learning experience in community-based healthcare. Objectives: To improve the access to quality health services to rural people by adopting 5 families each by every student in the selected village and identify the challenges in implementation of the programme. Materials and Methods: As a part of CBME curriculum, 150 students of 1^st Professional year students admitted in 2024-25 have adopted 5 families each, at Nandigama village with a population of 3729. The study subjects are the adopted families. Data was collected from November 2024 to July 2025, entered in Microsoft-Excel sheets. Descriptive and analytic statistics were performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL, version 23); p < 0.05 was considered as significant and the results are presented in tables as absolute and relative frequencies. Results: 96% of the families were adopted, with 970 family members. Regular interaction with families, students enhanced their communication skills, which are vital for conveying complex medical information in a comprehensible manner. It also enhanced their cultural sensitivity by exposing them to diverse patient backgrounds, making them better equipped to provide culturally competent care. It strengthened their bond between patients, families and healthcare providers, leading to improved health outcomes. Language, lack of interest and lack of clinical knowledge among the students were the major hurdles encountered in the implementation of the programme. Conclusion: The key findings show that an effective communication strategy should be drawn to ensure that students who do not know local language should learn it in stipulated time, so that knowledge can be translated into local language especially in rural areas. Recognizing the detrimental impact of Chronic Diseases/NCDs on individuals, families and the healthcare system, it becomes imperative for stakeholders to prioritize concerted action to mitigate the burden of chronic diseases, fostering a healthier future for its population. A Health care system should listen, learn and lead the families for well-being of villagers. Healthy families lead to Healthy village, as a basic unit.