Table 2.

Key study findings

Authors (Year)	Aims	Key Findings Related to disability curriculum
Ankam et al. (2019)22	The aim was to implement a disability curriculum and explore how it improved students’ understanding and clinical knowledge while providing care to patients with disabilities.	Undergraduate medical students were taught to care for individuals with disabilities using the Miller’s pyramid scheme, which is described as a method of hierarchy for comprehension, performance, and action. This curriculum employed learning through play methods which increased skills and clinical knowledge of medical students.
Borowsky et al. (2021)5	The goal of the curriculum was to equip medical students with a structural and human rights framework for understanding their patients’ disability.	Following the implementation of this curriculum, students reported improved understanding of their patients’ disability (p = 0.3) with acknowledgement of predisposed bias (p < .001) and increased confidence in their interactions with their patients (p < .001).
Castro et al. (2018)10	The purpose was to provide an overview of educational intervention that aimed to improve the understanding and competencies required by students in the holistic management of people with disabilities.	Students reported increased communication efficacy, fostered their ability to accurately diagnose and provide care for patients, improved ethical attitudes and increased competency in their clinical skills. Major themes reported in this study included leadership, management, and continuing education with an extensive improvement on students’ clinical skills.
Crotty et al. (2000)11	The goal of the curriculum was to provide students with tools necessary for providing care for individuals with disabilities.	Ninety six percent of students reported the experience as a valuable part of their curriculum. Students were taught about the rehabilitation process and the role of a therapist through self-learning that allow students to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudinal changes required for best care for patients with disabilities.
Galil at al. (1996)12	The goal of the study was to bring about positive changes in how medical students viewed people with disabilities.	Findings revealed that these programs were helpful in reforming student’s previous negative attitudes and bias, allowing the students to create a sense of compassion while caring for people with disabilities.
Graham et al. (2009)21	The purpose was to determine whether a unique didactic teaching method that focused on delivering health care to patients with disabilities impacted medical students’ knowledge of specific disabilities and their comfort with this population.	Students demonstrated reduced feelings of discomfort (p≤0.002) and improved comfortability in their communication and interactions with patients with disabilities while also being able to develop a sense of empathy (p=0.003).
Jones et al. (2007)23	To describe and implement a community pediatrics placement within a school setting that taught undergraduate medical students about disability.	Students reported the community placement was a positive experience, with students having an improved understanding of children with disabilities. Medical students demonstrated developing vital clinical pediatric skills for providing care to these children.
Loerger et al. (2019)6	The aim of this review was to examine existing body of literature and to determine effects of educational interventions on medical students about disability.	Fifty-three studies were included in this systematic review that reported attitudinal changes, improved skills, and knowledge among medical trainees. However, majority of the studies focused on general feedback rather than specific details on long term post curriculum interventions.
Long-Bellil et al. (2011)9	The goal was to improve communication skills, comfortability, and change in attitudes towards people with disabilities.	The programs at each of the medical schools implemented the use of standardized patients to educate medical students about disabilities. The results showed that students reported higher levels of comfort, increased knowledge, positive change in attitudes among students, and increased compassion for patients with disabilities.
Marshall et al. (1991)17	The goal of the study is to create a standardized countrywide curriculum to provide patient-led teaching to medical students.	The results showed that students' altruistic attitudes and their ability to build relationships with their patients improved to a greater extent. The study results indicated that there was improvement in their interactions as well as the general sense of understanding for these patients.
19Medina-Walpole et al. (2012)	The purpose was to investigate whether students' predetermined attitudes and misconceptions could be shaped by early curricular intervention.	Students felt increased comfortability (p≤0.0001) and pleasure (p=0.03) with patient interactions, and reduced levels of prejudice and negative attitudes.
Rogers et al. (2016)16	The new curriculum focused on complexity of disability, health care disparities, and bias.	Students described the curriculum as being valuable as it led to increased local disability community involvement and allowed medical students reflect and reconsider their biases while providing care to people with disabilities.
Sarmiento et al. (2016)13	Curriculum focused on educating medical students about how to gain better understanding of the hardships faced by their patients with disabilities and their everyday experiences.	Students described the curriculum as a positive experience as it increased their understanding of the hardships individuals with disabilities had to face and the impact of disability on their patients’ day to day life.
Sheppard et al. (2017)15	The aim was to assess the efficacy of an educational intervention designed to introduce the topics of special education law and practices as well as working with children with disabilities.	Medical students reported greater necessity in the value of support systems for patients and their family. Students’ understanding for special law education and its application increased significantly. Qualitative thematic analysis resulted in two major themes related to reliance on information and knowledge for physicians’ ability to diagnose, as well as how this knowledge impacted the patient-physician relationship.
Symons et al. (2009)2	The objective of this paper was to describe the development and initial implementation of a curriculum for teaching medical students to care for patients with disabilities.	Findings from this study allowed medical students to foster an understanding of the hardships these individuals faced. Students also reported increase in their knowledge, and skills necessary for treating their future patients.
Symons et al. (2014)14	To test differences in mean scores between intervention and control groups on individual post-survey items regarding attitudes toward people with disabilities, and to examine individual factors that accounted for group differences.	Results from this study revealed that there were significant changes in students’ attitude, comfort in interacting with individuals with disability and positive impression of self-concept of people with disability. The intervention group indicated that men were more likely to have negative reactions (p =0.005) compared to their female counterparts which led the authors to conclude that this was a gendered phenomenon.
Tracy et al. (1996)20	The aim was to demonstrate the impact of a disability course on first year medical students’ perception and attitudes towards individuals with disabilities.	Majority of students felt that they had an initial sense of discomfort and reduced confidence when interacting with patients with disabilities, which later progressed to the development of understanding for these patients as well as improved attitudes and altered beliefs. Furthermore, students developed a sense of apprehension for the hardships these patients faced.
Watmough et al. (2014)7	This study examines the impact of a seven-week community-based placement on for third-year medical students and their understanding of disability.	Students regarded their participation in this community placement as a positive experience which allowed them to gain more clinical knowledge from visiting care homes in comparison to the classroom teaching.
Wells et al. (2002)18	The goal of the curriculum was to reform attitudes and misconceptions that medical students had about individuals with disabilities.	Results showed that medical students gained greater knowledge related to the social characteristics of disabilities and improved their patient-physician relationship.
Woodard et al. (2012)3	The purpose of the new training module was to increase formal training in medical school and improve clinical proficiency as well as endorse positive attitudes towards individuals with disabilities.	Results demonstrated that students had improved knowledge (p<.001), attitudes (p<.001), and comfort (p<.001) while providing care to people with disabilities.