Motlatso Mlambo1, Abigail Dreyer2, Rainy Dube3, Nontsikelelo Mapukata4, Ian Couper5, Richard Cooke6. 1. Centre for Rural Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Witwatersrand University, South Africa motlatso.mlambo@wits.ac.za. 2. Centre for Rural Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Witwatersrand University, South Africa abigail.dreyer@wits.ac.za. 3. Centre for Rural Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Witwatersrand University, South Africa rainy.dube@wits.ac.za. 4. Centre for Rural Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Witwatersrand University, South Africa ntsiki.mapukata@wits.ac.za. 5. Ukwanda Centre for Rural Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa icouper@sun.ac.za. 6. Centre for Rural Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Witwatersrand University, South Africa richard.cooke@wits.ac.za.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Medical education in South Africa is facing a major paradigm shift. The urgency to increase the number of suitable, qualified and socially accountable health sciences graduates has brought to the fore the need to identify alternative training platforms and learning environments, often in rural areas. Subsequently, the focus has now shifted towards strengthening primary health care and community based health services. This scoping review presents a synopsis of the existing literature on decentralized training platform (DTP) strategies for medical education internationally, outlining existing models within it and its impact. METHODS: This scoping review followed Arksey and O'Malley's framework outlining five stages: (i) identification of a research question, (ii) identification of relevant studies, (iii) study selection criteria, (iv) data charting, and (v) collating, summarizing and reporting results. The literature for the scoping review was found using online databases, reference lists and hand searched journals. Data were charted and sorted inductively according to key themes. RESULTS: A final review included 59 articles ranging over the years 1987-2015 with the largest group of studies falling in the period 2011-2015 (47.5%). Studies mostly employed quantitative (32.2%), qualitative (20.3%), systematic/literature review (18.6%) and mixed methods research approaches (11.9%). The scoping review highlighted a range of DTP strategies for transforming medical education. These include training for rural workforce, addressing context specific competencies to promote social accountability, promoting community engagement, and medical education partnerships. Viable models of DTP include community based education, distributed community engaged learning, discipline based clinical rotations, longitudinal clerkships and dedicated tracks focusing on rural issues. Shorter rural placements and supplemental rural tracks are also described. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review showed a considerable amount of literature on decentralized training platforms that highlight the necessary adaptations needed for transforming medical education. The rural context is critical for many of these. Further studies are required to address the impact of DTPs on health service outcomes and human resource outcomes.
INTRODUCTION: Medical education in South Africa is facing a major paradigm shift. The urgency to increase the number of suitable, qualified and socially accountable health sciences graduates has brought to the fore the need to identify alternative training platforms and learning environments, often in rural areas. Subsequently, the focus has now shifted towards strengthening primary health care and community based health services. This scoping review presents a synopsis of the existing literature on decentralized training platform (DTP) strategies for medical education internationally, outlining existing models within it and its impact. METHODS: This scoping review followed Arksey and O'Malley's framework outlining five stages: (i) identification of a research question, (ii) identification of relevant studies, (iii) study selection criteria, (iv) data charting, and (v) collating, summarizing and reporting results. The literature for the scoping review was found using online databases, reference lists and hand searched journals. Data were charted and sorted inductively according to key themes. RESULTS: A final review included 59 articles ranging over the years 1987-2015 with the largest group of studies falling in the period 2011-2015 (47.5%). Studies mostly employed quantitative (32.2%), qualitative (20.3%), systematic/literature review (18.6%) and mixed methods research approaches (11.9%). The scoping review highlighted a range of DTP strategies for transforming medical education. These include training for rural workforce, addressing context specific competencies to promote social accountability, promoting community engagement, and medical education partnerships. Viable models of DTP include community based education, distributed community engaged learning, discipline based clinical rotations, longitudinal clerkships and dedicated tracks focusing on rural issues. Shorter rural placements and supplemental rural tracks are also described. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review showed a considerable amount of literature on decentralized training platforms that highlight the necessary adaptations needed for transforming medical education. The rural context is critical for many of these. Further studies are required to address the impact of DTPs on health service outcomes and human resource outcomes.
Entities:
Keywords:
South Africa; decentralized training platform; health system; medical education; rural practice; rural training; social accountability; transformation; community based education
Authors: Belinda O'Sullivan; Bruce Chater; Amie Bingham; John Wynn-Jones; Ian Couper; Nagwa Nashat Hegazy; Raman Kumar; Henry Lawson; Viviana Martinez-Bianchi; Sankha Randenikumara; James Rourke; Sarah Strasser; Paul Worley Journal: Front Med (Lausanne) Date: 2020-11-27
Authors: Jana Muller; Cameron Reardon; Susan Hanekom; Juanita Bester; Francois Coetzee; Kopano Dube; Elmarize du Plessis; Ian Couper Journal: Front Public Health Date: 2021-04-20