Learning through connections with others: women’s cardiac symptoms

Conducting group sessions in which women can share experiences, develop connections, and learn from each other may potentially be a powerful health educational tool. In a focus group conducted for evaluative feedback, the authors found that women began spontaneously sharing their experiences and feelings, receiving validation, and learning from each other almost from the start of the group session. The participants who were dissimilar in age, ethnicity/race, and socioeconomic status developed a strong connection based on the common experience of having had a heart attack. Although the participants had received patient education after their heart attack, they learned new information about cardiac symptoms and how to respond to them in the group session. This case example is a compelling reminder that women learn through connections. Therefore, a group approach to health education that acknowledges the salience of personal experiences, the experiences of others, the development of connections, and the exchange of information may provide a meaningful learning environment. Further research needs to be conducted to determine if conducting group appointments for women that fosters the development of connections and the exchange of information enriches the learning environment and enhances patient education.