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Browsing by Author "Adonis, Tracy-Ann"

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    Communities' views, attitudes and recommendations on community-based education of undergraduate Health Sciences students in South Africa: A qualitative study
    (2013) Mabuza, Langalibalele; Diab, Paula; Reid, Stephen; Ntuli, Busisiwe; Flack, Penelope; Mpofu, Ratie; Daniels, Priscilla; Adonis, Tracy-Ann; Cakwe, Mandisa; Karuguti, Mugambi; Molefe, Ngkatiseng
    Background: Medical and Health Sciences students in South Africa undertake community-based education (CBE). Health professionals based at host sites are jointly responsible for training of these students in conjunction with university staff. This study explored the communities’ views, attitudes and recommendations regarding CBE undertaken by these students, in order to improve the quality of community support for these programmes. Method: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted at CBE placement sites of students from the Faculties of Health Sciences of the University of Limpopo (UL), University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and University of the Western Cape (UWC) during 2010 and 2011. Focus group discussions were held with site facilitators, community leaders and patients, and interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and translated into English where necessary. Data were analysed using NVivo (version 9). Findings: CBE was seen to benefit communities, students and host institutions as there was perceived improvement of service delivery, better referral to hospitals and reduction of workloads on site staff. CBE was also seen as having potential for recruiting professionals who have better orientation to the area, and for motivating school pupils for a career in health sciences. Students acquired practical skills and gained confidence and experience. Challenges included poor communication between universities and host sites, burden of student teaching on site facilitators, cultural and religious sensitivity of students and language barriers. Conclusion: The study revealed that communities have an important role to play in the CBE of future health care professionals. CBE activities could be better organised and managed through formalised partnerships.
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    Promoting excellence in teaching in health education through the development of partnerships
    (University of the Western Cape, 2007) Daniels, Priscilla; Adonis, Tracy-Ann
    INTRODUCTION: The Faculty of Community and Health Sciences (FCHS) reviewed its curricula for 1994, allowing the Primary Health Care (PHC) approach to be the foundation of teaching and learning in health. To institutionalize a PHC approach, the teaching methodology of service-learning which is premised on the development of partnerships, proved useful in realizing the faculty's goal. AIM: The aim of this study was to identify how to ensure that partnerships develop optimally and in a sustainable fashion to promote excellence and relevance in teaching and development of professional skills in FCHS. Methods: A qualitative study was employed using focus groups with the partners in 2 service-learning programmes in FCHS. RESULTS: Key findings included that capacity building programmes for all partners promotes good training and education in health sciences; partners' roles should be clarified and it's imperative that formalized partnership agreements exist to ensure collaboration and enhance teaching. CONCLUSION: Service-learning serves as an impetus to move higher education in the direction of multi-disciplinarity.