Article Sidebar
Published:
Nov 1, 2022Article Details
Copyright remains in the Author’s name. The work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial Works License. Authors are required to complete and sign an Author Agreement form that outlines Author and Publisher rights and terms of publication. The Agreement form should be uploaded along with other submissions files and any submission will be considered incomplete without it [forthcoming].
Material submitted for publication in the AJHPE is accepted provided it has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Please inform the editorial team if the main findings of your paper have been presented at a conference and published in abstract form, to avoid copyright infringement. The AJHPE does not hold itself responsible for statements made by the authors. The corresponding author should also indicate if the research forms part of a postgraduate short report, dissertation or thesis.
Previously published images
If an image/figure has been previously published, permission to reproduce or alter it must be obtained by the authors from the original publisher and the figure legend must give full credit to the original source. This credit should be accompanied by a letter indicating that permission to reproduce the image has been granted to the author/s. This letter should be uploaded as a supplementary file during submission.Main Article Content
A case study: Promoting interprofessional community-based learning opportunities for health sciences students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
I Moodley
Abstract
Background. Preventing disease and promoting health call for interprofessional collaboration of health professionals working in a team, making it important for student health professionals to experience collaborative teamwork while in training, rather than learning and working in silos.
Objectives. To describe the opinions of participating students and supervising staff in an intraprofessional community-based initiative involving the disciplines of physiotherapy and dentistry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Durban, South Africa.
Methods. This was a qualitative descriptive study demonstrating teamwork of students from two health sciences disciplines, giving a joint health education talk to patients at a local community health centre. Data were collected from focus group discussions. Three such discussions were held with purposively selected samples: (i) 5 physiotherapy students; (ii) 6 dental therapy students; and (iii) 6 staff members from both disciplines who supervised the students. These data were analysed using thematic analysis. Ethical approval was obtained from UKZN.
Results. By working collaboratively, the students believed that they learnt more about the other health professionals and obtained a deeper understanding of their roles within the healthcare team. Staff believed that the collaborative project could break down professional barriers to work cohesively in the work environment. The main difficulties encountered were the language barrier and rigid timetables.
Conclusion. This case study provides an example of intraprofessional collaboration and teamwork, capable of positively influencing participating students, emphasising the need for interprofessional learning opportunities for students across all health sciences disciplines while in training.
