guest post: feedback invited - UBC’s Graduate Certificate in Primary Health Care
Primary Health Care is the entry point to the health system - the point through which a patient usually encounters the health system for the first time. Primary health care includes a broad range of activities and services from health promotion to illness prevention and the treatment and management of acute and chronic conditions that do not require hospital admission. Traditionally, primary health care is delivered by a range of health professionals including audiologists, midwives, nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physicians, physical therapists, social workers and speech language pathologists who work independently but are typically pulled together to collaborate on an informal basis. This ad hoc approach to interdisciplinary collaboration no longer provides the most effective health services. The Government of British Columbia has recently mandated the Minister of Health to priorize the provision of team-based primary care in an organized structure that is delivered by formalized interprofessional teams.
What
We are proposing an interprofessional 1.5 year fully online part-time Certificate for healthcare professionals who are in or considering healthcare leadership positions in primary health care and those wishing to be effective health care providers on an interprofessional primary health care team. The certificate will run according to the University calendar and will be offered with one start date per year. The certificate program will involve about 150 hours of instruction in five separate courses – three 3-credit courses and two 1.5-credit courses, run sequentially. Participants will receive specialized training, and develop the understanding and skills to deliver healthcare in a complex environment, including team dynamics, leadership, navigating complex health systems, interprofessional collaboration, cultural and ethical issues, chronic disease management, and health delivery management. Each course will consist of a number of components such as short videos, interactive learning activities, group activities and submitted assignments.
Why
The provision of efficient primary health care is a current societal need and articulated priority. As noted above, in support of that need, the Government of British Columbia has mandated the Minister of Health to prioritize the provision of team-based primacy care. The World Health Organization reports that primary health care is “increasingly viewed as the best way to reduce waste and improve efficiencies in service delivery, get incentives for quality performance right, contain costs in well-off countries, and implement cost-effective interventions in low-resource settings”. A review of the literature suggests that additional skills are required to effectively deliver in a team-based primary healthcare setting.
Who
The certificate will be taught online by faculty members from the Faculty of Medicine, including the School of Population & Public Health and Rehabilitation Science.
When
The first intake is planned for September of 2019.
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Since you are a member of a profession that has extensive experience in providing primary health care, we would appreciate your feedback on our proposal.
We have developed a short survey to collect your responses. You can access the survey using the following link:
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey before February 4, 2019. Thank you in advance for providing your feedback and suggestions.
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UBC Faculty of Medicine
Ranked among the world’s top medical schools with the fifth-largest MD enrollment in North America, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine.
Guest Posts
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