Being isolated in hospital negatively affects patient’s emotional well-being and slows their recovery. Studies have shown increased symptoms of anxiety and depression in people deprived of social contact. At the same time, many students wish to become involved in the healthcare sector, but face administrative barriers and limited responsiveness from institutions.

Our innovative project helps bridge these needs. Founded at Université de Montréal, Heartful Visits (https://coeursenvisite.ca/index-en.html) mobilizes students to offer friendly visits and fun activities to hospitalized adults and children and long-term care residents. The idea is to support their well-being and break their isolation.

Our organization acts as a bridge between the hospital world and the academic environment. We collaborate with four long-term care centres in Montreal, totalling more than 50 facilities (11 hospitals, 42 long-term care facilities and two rehabilitation centres). We raise students’ awareness of the loneliness experienced by certain patients and provide them with the opportunity to get involved as volunteers. Over 120 students have signed up, providing support to some 800 patients every month. The program has drawn significant interest and has been adopted at Université Laval, Quebec City, McGill University and Collège Brébeuf. Under the supervision of Dr. Ahmed Moussa, our team published a scientific article in the Canadian Medical Education Journal (https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cmej/article/view/81813/58682). We wanted to share how our approach positively affected student volunteers’ empathy and communication skills, while helping other institutions replicate our innovative program. Our approach has won several awards, including the 2024 Prix Hippocrate.

Lead:
Othmane Zekraoui, Medical Student