Workplace-based learning opportunities in a South African family medicine training programme

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Workplace-based learning opportunities in a South African family medicine training programme
 
Creator Erumeda, Neetha J. Jenkins, Louis S. George, Ann Z.
 
Subject Family medicine; district health system; primary care; primary health care; education decentralised clinical training; family medicine; family physician; postgraduate training; postgraduate registrars; workplace-based learning; workplace learning opportunities.
Description Background: Workplace-based learning (WBL) provides authentic learning opportunities to develop fit-for-practice healthcare workers. Different types of WBL opportunities have been described in high-income countries, but the opportunities in the district health systems of sub-Saharan Africa have not been characterised.Aim: This study explored family physicians’ (FPs) and registrars’ perceptions of WBL opportunities in a decentralised postgraduate family medicine registrar training programme.Setting: The study was conducted at five decentralised training sites across two provinces affiliated with the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa.Methods: This instrumental case study involved semi-structured qualitative interviews with 11 FPs and 11 registrars purposively sampled across the training sites. The verbatim transcripts were thematically analysed using Braun and Clark’s six-step approach.Results: Workplace-based learning opportunities were grouped into four themes: Learning from interpersonal interactions, learning from district activities, self-directed learning and contextual influences on learning opportunities. Registrars learnt from patients, peers, FPs and other professionals. Feedback, self-reflection, portfolio use, involvement in various district events, such as student and staff teaching, and continuous medical education augmented learning. Contextual influences originated from health facilities, resource availability, district management and university support, excessive workload and a need for standardised district learning opportunities.Conclusion: Registrars are exposed to several types of WBL opportunities in district health systems. Effective engagement with available opportunities and addressing contextual challenges could enhance registrar learning.Contribution: Maximising learning opportunities to promote registrars’ acquisition of required skills and competencies to efficiently address community needs in a middle-income country such as South Africa.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor Faculty Research Committee Individual Research Grants 2021 National Research Foundation of South Africa Grant No 12003
Date 2023-10-09
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Qualitative study
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/phcfm.v15i1.4073
 
Source African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine; Vol 15, No 1 (2023); 13 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/4073/6536 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4073/6537 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4073/6538 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4073/6539
 
Coverage Africa; South Africa; Gauteng; North West; Johannesburg Metro district; Ekurhuleni district; West Rand district; Sedibeng district; Dr Kenneth Kaunda district March- August 2020 Family Physicians ; Registrars
Rights Copyright (c) 2023 Neetha J. Erumeda, Louis S. Jenkins, Ann Z. George https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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