Light shed on how university departments of general practice can improve health equity
Western Sydney University researchers have shed new light on the important role university departments of general practice can have in reducing health inequity.
Published in the Australian Journal of Primary Health, a paper led by Professor Jennifer Reath and a team of experts, collated examples from academic departments in Australia and internationally and explored a recently established department of general practice.
The research team highlighted that strong primary health care is crucial to combatting health inequity, including challenges exposed by the pandemic, and made recommendations on how to further improve institutional support, curriculum design, and partnerships with communities and between institutions.
Co-author Professor Penny Abbott from Western Sydney University’s School of Medicine and Translational Health Research Institute said university departments of general practice have the potential to lead research informing transformation and strategies to reduce health inequity, as well as to train and inspire a future workforce.
“A key benefit of university departments of primary health care and general practice is they can inspire the future medical workforce to work in areas of greater need and also support research which promotes high quality health care which is accessible to all,” said Professor Abbott.
As part of engaging with university departments of general practice, students are influenced to work in areas of disadvantage by curricula that highlight the social determinants of health, and enable immersive learning with disadvantaged communities.
Drs Shakif Shakur and Tasnuba Pervez, medical graduates of Western Sydney University who joined the University’s Department of General Practice as Academic Registrars in 2020 and 2021 respectively, experienced the benefits to students firsthand.
Dr Pervez explained that the more opportunities GPs have to experience other areas outside of their clinical practice, such as research, teaching, and community involvement, the more they are able to decide where their efforts can be best applied.
“Having the opportunity to be an academic registrar as part of Western Sydney University’s General Practice Department was an eye opener. It allowed me to recognise opportunities to work in areas beyond clinical medicine and that it was possible to work in clinical teaching and research. It showed me that there were clinicians who had created a wonderful career out of this symbiotic relationship between clinical teaching and research,” said Dr Pervez.
Dr Shakur who joined as a registrar during the height of the pandemic and now works within the School of Medicine as a Casual Academic, enjoyed engaging students in General Practice and promoting a strong understanding of the importance of primary care in the community.
“The demand for primary care services is growing, due in part to an aging population and the increase in chronic diseases, yet there's an ongoing shortage of GPs in many areas. GPs play a crucial role in delivering primary healthcare services to our communities - they're usually the first point of contact for patients seeking medical care and are responsible for diagnosing and treating a wide range of conditions,” said Dr Shakur.
“Research shows that investing in primary care improves the overall health outcomes of communities. Therefore, the more we encourage and develop GP clinicians, the better off our community will be.”
Professor Abbott concluded that although university departments of general practice make important contributions to improving health equity in Australia and internationally, there are opportunities to enhance this work.
“As we emphasise the importance of comprehensive, integrated primary health care in our health systems, we need to strengthen the role of the primary health sector in scholarship, education and training,” she said.
“Through university departments of general practices institutions can support multidisciplinary team-based approaches to both teaching and research which are aligned with new models of primary health care. Although Rural Clinical Schools are long-standing exemplars of such academic collaborations, similar longitudinal community-engaged learning in urban settings can also engage students in addressing health inequity. Such initiatives require ongoing funding and support.”
For more information, download, ‘Strengthening learning and research in health equity – opportunities for university departments of primary health care and general practice’, here (opens in a new window).
ENDS
3 July 2023
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