Browsing by Author "Mostert-Wentzel, K."

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    A model for community physiotherapy from the perspective of newly graduated physiotherapists as a guide to curriculum revision
    (Health and Medical Publishing Group, 2013) Mostert-Wentzel, K.; Frantz, Jose M.; van Rooijen, A. J.
    Background. Limitations in physiotherapy curricula have been reported. Work-based experiences, especially during compulsory community service, could inform curricula. Objective. To develop a model of community service physiotherapy to guide curriculum reform. Methods. In this appreciative inquiry, trained physiotherapy students conducted tele-interviews with newly graduated physiotherapists. Twelve recently graduated community-service physiotherapists – heterogeneous in gender, mother tongue, university attended and work setting – were purposively recruited. Two coders applied Tesch’s coding technique to the transcripts; one did paper-based work and the other used AtlasTi software. Consensus was reached and a member check done. Results. Four themes identified were: (i) the essence of community physiotherapy; (ii) the collaborative nature of community physiotherapy; (iii) prerequisites for a positive practice environment; and (iv) community physiotherapy as a gateway to personal growth and professional development. Physiotherapists consult clients from varied cultural backgrounds, ages and health and disease profiles. Health education is a key intervention, but clients emphasised therapeutic touch. Team work enhances services, especially within a context of poverty, and prevents isolation. New graduates have to deal with inefficient management, lack of transport, inadequate equipment and needs resilience. They want discipline-specific supervision. Conclusion. Community physiotherapy makes specific demands, especially for novice therapists. Service-learning in authentic diverse contexts would foster professional development and cultural competence. Clinical competency should remain the backbone of the curriculum, complemented by competency in health education. Different ways of reflection would facilitate lifelong learning and growth in attributes such as resilience, which is necessary for dealing with sub-optimal practice environments.
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    Status of undergraduate community-based and public-health physiotherapy education in South Africa
    (SA Society of Physiotherapy, 2013) Mostert-Wentzel, K.; Frantz, Jose M.; Van Rooijen, T.
    Curricula of health education institutions therefore need to be periodically revised to be aligned with its context. This study explored the status physiotherapy curricula in South Africa (SA) as point of departure for benchmarking by individual institutions. A document analysis was done of the university physiotherapy departments (N=8) in South Africa. Institutional ethical clearance and permission from the heads of departments were obtained. Content analysis was used to analyse the South African Qualifications Authority exit-level outcomes and the university study guides for community placements. Most universities employed a form of service-learning, with interventions in a range of settings. Five themes emerged: practice of evidence-based physiotherapy, rendering physiotherapy services, acting professionally, communication, and collaboration. The country’s priority conditions were addressed. Teaching-earning strategies included group activities (class or education sessions), community projects, home visits and portfolios of evidence. Personal and small-group reflections were prominent. The undergraduate community physiotherapy curricula in South Africa address the health profile of the population and priorities in the health system to different degrees. The variation between universities should be interpreted with caution as the study guides only gave a limited snapshot into each institution’s curriculum. However, findings suggest that each physiotherapy university department may have gaps in preparing physiotherapy undergraduate students for the needs of the South African population and expectations of the Government. Possible ways to share teaching-learning resources are recommended.
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    The way forward with dental student communication at the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
    (Health and Medical Publishing Group, 2016) Maart, Ronel Deidre; Mostert-Wentzel, K.
    Dental students are extensively trained to provide dental treatment to their patients during the undergraduate programme. However, no or little time is spent on the training of basic communication skills. Embedding a communication course in the curriculum would require support of the teaching staff and clinical teachers. To explore the perceptions of the clinical teachers with regard to the teaching and learning of dental student communication. The study had a two-phase, sequential, exploratory, mixed-methods research design. The first phase explored the lecturers' perceptions of dental student-patient communication by means of a focus group interview (n=5). Findings were used to develop the questionnaire for the second phase. The survey was distributed to 57 clinical teachers using the online SurveyMonkey system (USA). Sixty-three percent rated dental student-patient communication as good. All the respondents thought communication skills should be included in the dental curriculum. Of the total, 47% strongly agreed that students wish to continue with their work and not attend to communication. Of the clinical teachers, 47% strongly agreed that they need training on how to communicate and assess communication skills. Sixty-eight percent strongly agreed that developing and teaching a communication module should be shared among faculty staff. Clinical teachers agreed that communication skills training and clinical assessment in the dental curriculum are important. The study raised awareness among faculty members about the importance of communication skills and ensured initial buy-in for the development of such a course.