Medical education and the quality improvement spiral: a case study from Mpumalanga, South Africa
Afr. j. prim. health care fam. med. (Online)
;
7(1): 1-10, 2015. ilus
Article
in English
| AIM
| ID: biblio-1257800
ABSTRACT
Background:
The short timeframe of medical students' rotations is not always conducive to successful; in-depth quality-improvement projects requiring a more longitudinal approach.Aim:
To describe the process of inducting students into a longitudinal quality-improvement project; using the topic of the Mother- and Baby-Friendly Initiative as a case study; and to explore the possible contribution of a quality-improvement project to the development of student competencies.Setting:
Mpumalanga clinical learning centres; where University of Pretoria medical students did their district health rotations.Method:
Consecutive student groups had to engage with a hospital's compliance with specific steps of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding that form the standards for the Mother- and Baby-Friendly Initiative. Primary data sources included an on-site PowerPoint group presentation (n = 42); a written group report (n = 42) and notes of individual interviews in an end-of-rotation objectively structured clinical examination station (n = 139).Results:
Activities in each rotation varied according to the needs identified through the application of the quality-improvement cycle in consultation with the local health team. The development of student competencies is described according to the roles of a medical expert in the CanMEDS framework collaborator; health advocate; scholar; communicator; manager and professional. The exposure to the real-life situation in South African public hospitals had a great influence on many students; who also acted as catalysts for transforming practice.Conclusion:
Service learning and quality-improvement projects can be successfully integrated in one rotation and can contribute to the development of the different roles of a medical expert. More studies could provide insight into the potential of this approach in transforming institutions and student learning
Full text:
Available
Index:
AIM (Africa)
Main subject:
South Africa
/
Students
/
Breast Feeding
/
Education, Medical, Graduate
/
Quality Improvement
Type of study:
Practice guideline
/
Qualitative research
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
English
Journal:
Afr. j. prim. health care fam. med. (Online)
Year:
2015
Type:
Article
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