Tag Archives: Primary health care

Video Competition

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AfroPHC has been developing a primary healthcare policy framework that is being launched on the 14th of March 2023. The framework consists of 31 main points/goals plus an opening and closing. Now, we are hosting a competition to create videos for each of the 33 points.

This competition is for healthcare students and professionals in Africa. Participation will be in groups and to participate, the group leader has to register below and download the video scripts document. This document has 33 scenes, one for each of the 33 points in the policy framework. In the scripts document, the policy framework points are in given in peach background. And this document can be downloaded here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tcbBgmYaFECY3v3UPXveiBGssCnKue39/view?usp=drivesdk

The participants are to shoot 5 videos for any 5 scenes directed in the scripts document. Each video should be atleast 15 seconds and atmost 30 seconds long (15-30 seconds long). The participants are to shoot the videos as directed in the scripts. They are free to make slight changes, the number of the main cast in the introduction and closing scenes can be reduced to 5. If participants feel like they can do one or more of the scenes in a better way than the one directed, they should email their suggested script(s) to innocential@innocentialdiaries.xyz for approval first before shooting. Such scripts will not be shared with other participants.

The participants are expected to collaborate with their healthcare centers for the video shooting and the equipment required. The scripts documents lists the extra requirements that might not be available in a healthcare center. Anyone can play any role given in the scripts document. However, identity clothing is required for each specified role. For example, a student nurse can act as a doctor in the play provided he dresses as a doctor in that play. The videos are to be simple and there’s no need for professional equipment or editing.

Technical requirements include:

  • Minimum resolution of the video of at least 720p.
  • The videos should have an aspect ratio of horizontal 4:3.
  • A maximum file size of 300MB, while utilizing commonly used video-codecs (e.g. H.264) and formats (.mov or .mp4).
  • Audio with a minimum bitrate of 128kbps.
  • Do not add text or watermarks or logos on the videos.
  • Only the calls should be cited in the videos. The words spoken in the videos should only be the calls recited.
  • The videos should not be significantly inclined torwards one gender.
  • Name the video files according to the scene titles given.

After shooting the 5 videos, the participants must put them in a Google drive folder and email the link to innocential@innocentialdiaries.xyz. Make sure this email has been granted access to the folder. These 5 videos should be submitted before the deadline, 12 February 2023, 2359hrs GMT+2. We will then shortlist two teams, and these two teams would have to shoot the videos for the remaining 28 scenes (to make a total of 33 videos, one video for each of the scenes given). They are to submit these videos as described above before the deadline, 28 February 2023, 2359hrs GMT+2.

The winners will be announced within a week, on this page and on our social accounts. There will be 2 winners. The 1st place will be awarded $500US. The second place will be awarded $250US. The ranking will be done by a set of judges and it will be based on creativity, quality and excellence. The winning participants will be required to grant AfroPHC the copyrights and ownership of their video content before being awarded the cash prizes.

For questions and updates, kindly join our Competition Whatsapp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/FB9mee2zrWxF5D2OgjGupF. We will be happy to provide any information necessary.

Best of luck!

Register now

LSHTM PHC seminar series launch

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”Primary Health Care – the heart of every health system”, a 10-part seminar series runs from October 2022 to July 2023 providing an overview of the key features and functions of PHC, the potential of PHC in all health systems and its role in achieving universal health coverage.

The first session will be:
Panel Discussion: Primary Health Care, the heart of every health system?
12.45 – 13.45, Wed 5 Oct 2022
Introduction: Liam Smeeth (LSHTM)
Panellists: Kara Hanson (LSHTM), Shannon Barkley (WHO), Alex Mold (LSHTM), Shabir Moosa (Wits University)
Chairs:
Luke Allen (LSHTM) & Luisa Pettigrew (LSHTM)

…more

AfroPHC Webinar 6pm (GMT) Tues 17th March 2020

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Dear colleagues

The African Forum for Primary Health Care (AfroPHC) is the voice of the PC/PHC team and its supporters, sharing and supporting each other in advocating for PHC. We want you to join us. We are having a series of webinars in a work up to the AfroPHC Conference 19-21 June 2020. Register for it!

Please register here for our second webinar on Tues 17th March 2020 at 6pm Ghana, 7pm Nigeria, 8pm SA, 9pm Kenya. 

The webinar will include luminaries from family medicine talking about family doctors, associate clinicians and African PHC. 

They will share a bit of background on organisations in the field, their efforts in the space of Primary Health Care in Africa as well as their views on the AfroPHC process.

Please forward this to your friends and colleagues.
rgds, AfroPHC Core Team

Look at AfroPHC Webinar on Nurses in African PHC

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AfroPHC Webinar 6pm (GMT) Tues 18th Feb 2020

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Dear colleagues

The African Forum for Primary Health Care (AfroPHC) is the voice of the PC/PHC team and its supporters, sharing and supporting each other in advocating for PHC. We want you to join us. We are having a series of webinars in a work up to the AfroPHC Conference 19-21 June 2020. Register for it!

Please register here for our first webinar at 6pm (GMT) on Tues 18th February 2020.

The webinar will include luminaries from the nursing discipline talking about nurses and African PHC. 

  • Thembeka Gwagwa, 2nd Vice President of the International Council of Nurses (ICN).
  • Bongi Sibanda, Coordinator of Anglophone Africa Advanced Practice Nurse Coalition Project (AAAPNC)
  • Judy Khanyola, African Representative for Nursing Now
  • Mwansa Nkowane, Consultant and ex-WHO AFRO

They will share a bit of background on organisations in the field, their efforts in the space of Primary Health Care in Africa as well as their views on the AfroPHC process.

Please forward this to your friends and colleagues.
rgds, AfroPHC Core Team

Investigating the contribution of physician assistants to primary care in England: a mixed-methods study

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Citation:  Drennan V, Halter M, Brearley S, Carneiro W, Gabe J, Gage H, et al.Investigating the contribution of physician assistants to primary care in England: a mixed-methods study. Health Serv Deliv Res 2014;2(16) HERE

Background: Primary health care is changing as it responds to demographic shifts, technological changes and fiscal constraints. This, and predicted pressures on medical and nursing workforces, raises questions about staffing configurations. Physician assistants (PAs) are mid-level practitioners, trained in a medical model over 2 years at postgraduate level to work under a supervising doctor. A small number of general practices in England have employed PAs.

Objective: To investigate the contribution of PAs to the delivery of patient care in primary care services in England.

Design: A mixed-methods study conducted at macro, meso and micro organisational levels in two phases: (1) a rapid review, a scoping survey of key national and regional informants, a policy review, and a survey of PAs and (2) comparative case studies in 12 general practices (six employing PAs). The latter incorporated clinical record reviews, a patient satisfaction survey, video observations of consultations and interviews with patients and professionals.

Results: The rapid review found 49 published studies, mainly from the USA, which showed increased numbers of PAs in general practice settings but weak evidence for impact on processes and patient outcomes. The scoping survey found mainly positive or neutral views about PAs, but there was no mention of their role in workforce policy and planning documents. The survey of PAs in primary care (n = 16) found that they were mainly deployed to provide same-day appointments. The comparative case studies found that physician assistants were consulted by a wide range of patients, but these patients tended to be younger, with less medically acute or complex problems than those consulting general practitioners (GPs). Patients reported high levels of satisfaction with both PAs and GPs. The majority were willing or very willing to consult a PA again but wanted choice in which type of professional they consulted. There was no significant difference between PAs and GPs in the primary outcome of patient reconsultation for the same problem within 2 weeks, investigations/tests ordered, referrals to secondary care or prescriptions issued. GPs, blinded to the type of clinician, judged the documented activities in the initial consultation of patients who reconsulted for the same problem to be appropriate in 80% (n = 223) PA and 50% (n = 252) GP records. PAs were judged to be competent and safe from observed consultations. The average consultation with a physician assistant is significantly longer than that with a GP: 5.8 minutes for patients of average age for this sample (38 years). Costs per consultation were £34.36 for GPs and £28.14 for PAs. Costs could not be apportioned to GPs for interruptions, supervision or training of PAs.

Conclusions: PAs were found to be acceptable, effective and efficient in complementing the work of GPs. PAs can provide a flexible addition to the primary care workforce. They offer another labour pool to consider in health professional workforce and education planning at local, regional and national levels. However, in order to maximise the contribution of PAs in primary care settings, consideration needs to be given to the appropriate level of regulation and the potential for authority to prescribe medicines. Future research is required to investigate the contribution of PAs to other first contact services as well as secondary services; the contribution and impact of all types of mid-level practitioners (including nurse practitioners) in first contact services; the factors and influences on general practitioner and practice manager decision-making as to staffing and skill mix; and the reliability and validity of classification systems for both primary care patients and their presenting condition and their consequences for health resource utilisation.