Strengthening learning and research in health equity – opportunities for university departments of primary health care and general practice
Jennifer Reath A * , Phyllis Lau A B , Winston Lo A , Steven Trankle A , Miriam Brooks
A , Yasin Shahab A and Penelope Abbott A
A Department of General Practice, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW 2560, Australia.
B Department of General Practice, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Vic. 3050, Australia.
Australian Journal of Primary Health 29(2) 131-136 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY22146
Submitted: 13 July 2022 Accepted: 18 October 2022 Published: 8 November 2022
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of La Trobe University. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Abstract
This paper explores the roles of university departments of primary health care (PHC) and general practice in promoting health equity. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed long-standing health and workforce inequities in Australia, as elsewhere. Addressing these inequities will require wide-ranging responses particularly focussed on PHC and the PHC workforce. Well-resourced university departments of PHC and general practice have potential to lead research informing PHC transformation and strategies to reduce health inequity, as well as to train and inspire a future PHC workforce. Examples from such academic departments in Australia and internationally are briefly described, and the experience of a recently established department of general practice is considered, in order to recommend enablers including institutional support, curriculum design, and partnerships with communities and between institutions. Support for community-based clinical schools, practice-based research networks and strengthening PHC research capacity will enable the PHC and general practice academy to engage more effectively in addressing health inequity.
Keywords: general practice, general practice research, graduate medical education, health inequity, practice-based research networks, primary health care, undergraduate medical education, workforce.
References
Abbott PA, Hu WCY (2022) Social inclusion and medical practitioners. In ‘Handbook of social inclusion.’ (Ed. P Liamputtong) pp. 2123–2140. (Springer: Cham) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89594-5_126Ball L, Sturgiss E (2020) Celebrating diversity and adaptability in academic primary care. Australian Journal of Primary Health 26, i–ii.
| Celebrating diversity and adaptability in academic primary care.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brooker R, Hu W, Reath J, Abbott P (2018) Medical student experiences in prison health services and social cognitive career choice: a qualitative study. BMC Medical Education 18, 3
| Medical student experiences in prison health services and social cognitive career choice: a qualitative study.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brooks M, Reath J, McDonnell L, Abbott P (2021) Increasing general practitioner use of evidence-based medicine in teaching and clinical practice through evidence-based journal clubs. Australian Journal of Primary Health 27, 271–275.
| Increasing general practitioner use of evidence-based medicine in teaching and clinical practice through evidence-based journal clubs.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hart JT (1971) The inverse care law. The Lancet 1, 405–412.
| The inverse care law.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Mahoney S, Boileau L, Floridi J, Abi-Abdallah C, Lee B (2014) How social accountability can be incorporated into an urban community-based medical education program: an Australian initiative. Education for Health 27, 148–151.
| How social accountability can be incorporated into an urban community-based medical education program: an Australian initiative.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Marjadi B, Mapedzahama V, Rogers G, Donnelly M, Harris A, Donadel D, Jakstas E, Dune T, Lo W, Micheal S, McKnight T, Henness A, Ganapathy AV, Pacey F (2020) Medicine in Context: ten years’ experience in diversity education for medical students in Greater Western Sydney, Australia. GMS Journal for Medical Education 37, Doc21
| Medicine in Context: ten years’ experience in diversity education for medical students in Greater Western Sydney, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand (2021) ‘Discussion paper: Training tomorrow’s doctors – all pulling in the right direction.’ Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand: Sydney, Australia. Available at https://medicaldeans.org.au/resource/training-tomorrows-doctors-all-pulling-in-the-right-direction/ [Verified 11 July 2022]
Pearce KA, Love MM, Barron MA, Matheny SC, Mahfoud Z (2004) How and why to study the practice content of a practice-based research network. Annals of Family Medicine 2, 425–428.
| How and why to study the practice content of a practice-based research network.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Primary Health Reform Steering Group (2021) Recommendations on the Australian Government’s Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan 2022–2032. Available at https://tinyurl.com/mrxyctj2 [Verified 7 July 2022]
Reath J, Tan L, Brooks M, Burges J, Lindsay N, Lo W, Shakur S, Trankle SA, Wong KC (2020) One medical school’s experience of sustaining general practice teaching in the time of COVID-19. Australian Journal of General Practitioners Jul 10, 49
| One medical school’s experience of sustaining general practice teaching in the time of COVID-19.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Sen Gupta T, Johnson P, Rasalam R, Hays R (2018) Growth of the James Cook University Medical Program: maintaining quality, continuing the vision, developing postgraduate pathways. Medical Teacher 40, 495–500.
| Growth of the James Cook University Medical Program: maintaining quality, continuing the vision, developing postgraduate pathways.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Shadmi E, Chen Y, Dourado I, Faran-Perach I, Furler J, Hangoma P, Hanvoravongchai P, Obando C, Petrosyan V, Rao KD, Ruano AL, Shi L, de Souza LE, Spitzer-Shohat S, Sturgiss E, Suphanchaimat R, Uribe MV, Willems S (2020) Health equity and COVID-19: global perspectives. International Journal for Equity in Health 19, 104
| Health equity and COVID-19: global perspectives.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Starfield B, Shi L, Macinko J (2005) Contribution of primary care to health systems and health. Milbank Quarterly 83, 457–502.
| Contribution of primary care to health systems and health.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Sturgiss E, Tait PW, Douglas K, Chew JI, Balglow S, Watt G (2019) GPs at the Deep End: identifying and addressing social disadvantage wherever it lies. Australian Journal of General Practice 48, 811–813.
| GPs at the Deep End: identifying and addressing social disadvantage wherever it lies.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
University of Melbourne (2022) General Practice Research. Available at https://medicine.unimelb.edu.au/research-groups/general-practice-research [Verified 6 July 2022]
