Abstract

NXUMALO, C T; MCHUNU, G G  and  MAPHALALA, M. Implementation of a decentralised clinical training programme (DCTP) at a university of technology in South Africa: Implications for health science education and clinical practice. Afr. J. Health Prof. Educ. (Online) [online]. 2023, vol.15, n.4, pp.2-4. ISSN 2078-5127.  http://dx.doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2023.v15i4.1694.

A decentralised clinical training programme (DCTP) is one of the transformative teaching and learning approaches that has been adopted in health professions education in South Africa (SA). The benefits of DCTP include: (i) development of graduates who are better fit for purpose; (ii) meeting the increasing demand for clinical service placement for work-integrated learning; and (iii) fostering social accountability among health science graduates. Despite these advantages, DCTP is yet to be implemented at a university of technology in SA. The literature shows that DCTP has predominately been implemented in medical, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, optometry and nursing health science programmes in traditional SA universities. The available evidence also suggests that existing practices of implementing DCTP in these universities involve placement of students in remote sites (community-based centres, primary care facilities and district hospitals) and in the SA public health sector, with subsequent omission of the private health sector. In view of the newly adopted SA National Health Insurance Bill, we argue that this is a gap in the implementation of DCTP. This article presents the stance of the Durban University of Technology in attempting to roll out DCTP in the context of existing implementation gaps.

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