Experiences of primary health care practitioners dealing with emergencies – ‘We are on our own’
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Experiences of primary health care practitioners dealing with emergencies – ‘We are on our own’ | |
| Creator | Botes, Meghan Cooke, Richard Bruce, Judith | |
| Description | Background: Primary health care (PHC) focuses on health promotion and disease prevention; however, acute episodes and emergencies still occur at this level of care. The World Health Organization (WHO) proposes strengthening emergency care at a PHC level as a way of lessening the burden of disease on the overall health system. It is not known how health care practitioners at the PHC level experience management of emergencies.Aim: To explore and describe the experiences of PHC practitioners dealing with emergencies at PHC facilities in Gauteng, South Africa.Setting: The study was conducted in the District Health Services of Gauteng province in South Africa, including clinics, community health care centres and district hospitals.Methods: Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposively selected sample of professional nurses and doctors from various levels of the district health care system. Data were transcribed and analysed using qualitative thematic analysis.Results: Various themes were identified related to the individual confidence and competence of the PHC practitioner, the team approach, the process of role and task allocation and the need for training.Conclusion: The study provided a voice for the needs of health care practitioners dealing with emergencies at the PHC level. The designing of a targeted and contextually appropriate approach to emergency care training of health care practitioners in the PHC setting that improves team dynamics and team performance, is recommended.Contribution: The insights of PHC practitioners dealing with emergencies contribute contextual relevance to any strategic improvement of care at this level. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2023-01-31 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/phcfm.v15i1.3553 | |
| Source | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine; Vol 15, No 1 (2023); 9 pages 2071-2936 2071-2928 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3553/6042
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3553/6043
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3553/6044
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3553/6045
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