Person-Centred: Codesign With People With Disability to Improve Health Professions Education

Abstract

This study used collaborative autoethnography (CAE) to explore the codesign process by investigating the experiences of team members involved in developing the Healthy Discussions Program, a 3-h educational programme designed to improve communication between health professionals and people with disability. The programme was developed collaboratively by the Office of the Public Advocate (OPA), OPA's Lived Experience Advisory Committee (LEAC) and academics from the University of Melbourne. Drawing on participatory design research methodology, this educational research explored the group's experience of codesign using collaborative autoethnography.

Data were collected through individual and research team reflections as well as a focus group and interviews with LEAC members, followed by iterative thematic analysis. Five themes were identified describing the codesign process: (1) human rights, (2) power sharing, (3) open communication, (4) accessibility and inclusion and (5) collaborative leadership. Human rights were identified as a central driver, embedded within all other themes. Collaborators emphasised the need for authentic partnerships, inclusive communication, equitable remuneration, and support for long-term engagement.

The CAE enabled the research team to critically reflect on assumptions, power dynamics and systemic barriers while exploring their positionality and fostering inclusive knowledge generation. This study contributes to emerging frontiers on codesigned health professional curricula by highlighting the human rights and relational elements essential for meaningful collaboration. It demonstrates how codesign, when grounded in rights-based and relational principles, can enrich tertiary health professions education development. The findings offer guiding principles for tertiary educators seeking to authentically codesign health education with the communities they aim to serve.