Exploring what GP registrars consider distinctive to consultations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Understanding what general practice (GP) registrars consider as distinctive in their consultations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients may help bridge the gap between patient-determined cultural safety and current medical and behavioural practice. This project seeks to explore what GP registrars perceive as distinctive to their consultations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. METHODS: This mixed-methods study involved a survey considering demographic details of GP registrars, questionnaire regarding attitude and cultural capability, and semistructured interviews. RESULTS: 26 registrars completed the survey. 16 registrars completed both the survey and the interview. Despite recognising a need to close the gap on health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and wanting to do things differently, most registrars adopted a generic approach to all consultations. DISCUSSION: This study suggests that overall, GP registrars want to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, but do not want their consultations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients to be distinctive. Registrars appeared to approach all consultations in a similar manner using predominantly patient-centred care principles. Given the importance of a culturally safe consultation, it is important for us to consider how to increasingly transform these learners and teach cultural safety in this context.

Exploring how Australian general practice registrars define cultural safety with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients: a mixed method study.

BACKGROUND: Understanding how the general practice medical workforce defines cultural safety may help tailor education and training to better enable community-determined culturally safe practice. This project seeks to explore how Australian general practice registrars define cultural safety with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and alignment with an Australian community derived definition of cultural safety. METHODS: This mixed method study involved a survey considering demographic details of general practice registrars, questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews to explore how general practice registrars defined cultural safety and a culturally safe consultation. RESULTS: Twenty-six registrars completed the survey. Sixteen registrars completed both the survey and the interview. CONCLUSION: This study shows amongst this small sample that there is limited alignment of general practice registrars' definitions of cultural safety with a community derived definition of cultural safety. The most frequently cited aspects of cultural safety included accessible healthcare, appropriate attitude, and awareness of differences.

Exploring recent trends (2014-21) in preferencing and accepting Queensland medical internships in rural hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Medical internship is a key transition point in medical training from student to independent (junior) doctor. The national Regional Training Hubs (RTH) policy began across Australia in late 2017, which aims to build medical training pathways for junior doctors within a rural region and guide students, interns and trainees towards these. This study aims to explore preferencing and acceptance trends for rural medical internship positions in Queensland. Moreover, it focuses on internship preference and acceptance outcomes prior to and following the establishment of RTHs, and their association with key covariates such as rural training immersions offered by medical schools. METHODS: Data from all applicants to Queensland Health intern positions between 2014-2021 were available, notably their preference order and location of accepted internship position, classified as rural or metropolitan. Matched data from Queensland's medical schools were added for rural training time and other key demographics. Analyses explored the statistical associations between these factors and preferencing or accepting rural internships, comparing pre-RTH and post-RTH cohorts. RESULTS: Domestic Queensland-trained graduates first preferencing rural intern positions increased significantly (pre-RTH 21.1% vs post-RTH 24.0%, p = 0.017), reinforced by a non-significant increase in rural acceptances (27.3% vs 29.7%, p = 0.070). Rural interns were more likely to have previously spent ≥ 11-weeks training in rural locations within medical school, be rurally based in the year applying for internship, or enrolled in the rural generalist pathway. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of the RTH was associated with a moderate increase of graduates both preferencing and accepting a rural internship, though a richer understanding of the dominant reasons for and against this remain less clear. An expansion of graduates who undertook longer periods of undergraduate rural training in the same period did not diminish the proportion choosing a rural internship, suggesting there remains an appetite for these opportunities. Overall, domestic graduates are identified as a reliable source of intern recruitment and retention to rural hospitals across Queensland, with entry to the rural generalist pathway and extended rural placement experiences enhancing uptake of rural practice.

Reimagining rural clinical education from lessons learnt during COVID.

BACKGROUND: Securing access to sufficient and focussed learning experiences is a perennial challenge for medical trainees. This challenge was accentuated during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and with physical isolation processes that decreased in-person patient presentations and a shift to telehealth consultations. This situation has prompted the need to optimise the available experiences and educational responses to overcome the limitations in the number, quantum and range of available clinical learning experiences. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with medical practice teams in four rural general practices to understand how medical trainees' education in rural general practices can be sustained in such circumstances. FINDINGS: Key considerations included optimising the available experiences to assist medical trainees to generate the kinds of mental models needed by trainees to conduct medical work, and particularly, when it became even more restricted through remote or physically distanced consultations. It also identified lessons learnt during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns to inform and improve the provision of trainees' experiences in such practices. DISCUSSION: Providing experiences for trainees to participate fully in clinical activities is imperative. A sequenced set of experiences was proposed to incrementally prepare trainees to engage in and conduct clinical consultations remotely using digital technologies. CONCLUSION: Such an approach may not always be easy or possible to enact but offers a pathway of experiences most likely to lead to positive outcomes for the trainees whilst maintaining patient care and safety considerations.

Connectivity is the key to longer rural placement: Retaining students on rural longitudinal integrated clerkships.

PURPOSE: Recruitment and retention of medical practitioners to rural practice is an ongoing global issue. Rural longitudinal integrated clerkships (LIC) are an innovative solution to this problem, which are known to increase rural workforce. Crucially this association increases with time on rural placement. This study examines factors that promote retention in a Rural LIC. METHODS: A two-phased, sequential design qualitative study in a cohort of students enrolled in a rural LIC at Griffith University, Queensland, Australia. Phase I consisted of an open-ended questionnaire and phase II follow-up focus groups from the same cohort. Data was transcribed and analysed using an iterative, six-step thematic analysis process to identify salient themes. RESULTS: Twenty-four students were invited to participate, of which eight respond in phase I and thirteen participated in phase II. Participants described retention being driven by connectivity within three broad themes: current practice, future practice (immediate internship and career intention), and social networks. Participant proposals to increase connectivity were also suggested including peer-led solutions and short rotations in metropolitan hospitals. CONCLUSION: Connectivity is key to retention on rural longitudinal integrated clerkships. Programs which enhance connectivity with current practice, future practice, and social networks will increase retention on rural medical programs.

Recruiting students to rural longitudinal integrated clerkships: a qualitative study of medical educationists' experiences across continents.

INTRODUCTION: Many health systems struggle in the provision of a sustainable and an efficient rural health workforce. There is evidence to suggest that Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships (LIC) placing student learners in rural community settings have positively impacted the provision of rural health care services The recruitment and engagement of students in rural LIC have significant challenges. This study explored best practice methods of recruiting and supporting the transition of medical students into rural LIC. METHODS: The study took place during the 2021 Consortium of Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships Conference, a virtual event hosted by Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Participants consisted of delegates attending the Personally Arranged Learning Session (PeArLS) themed 'Secrets to success'. The session was recorded with the participants' consent and the recordings were transcribed verbatim. Data was uploaded to NVivo software and coded and analyzed using constant comparative analysis. Salient themes and patterns were identified. RESULTS: Thirteen attendees participated in the PeArLS representing a range of countries and institutions. Strategically marketing the LIC brand, improving the LIC program profile within institutions by bridging logistics, and the need to scaffold the transition to the rural LIC learning environment emerged as key themes for success. The attendees highlighted their experiences of using peer groups, early exposure to rural LIC sites, and student allocation strategies for promotion. Unique learning styles adopted in LIC models, student anxiety and the importance of fostering supportive relationships with stakeholders to support students in their transition to the LIC environment were discussed. DISCUSSION: This PeArLS highlighted successful systems and processes implemented in rural settings across different countries to recruit and manage the transition of medical students to rural LIC. The process proved to be a quick and efficient way to elicit rich information and may be of benefit to educationists seeking to establish similar programs or improve existing rural LIC.

Cultural safety in telehealth consultations with Indigenous people: A scoping review of global literature.

INTRODUCTION: Telehealth has become increasingly routine within healthcare and has potential to reduce barriers to care, including for Indigenous populations. However, it is crucial for practitioners to first ensure that their telehealth practice is culturally safe. This review aims to describe the attributes of culturally safe telehealth consultations for Indigenous people as well as strategies that could promote cultural safety. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted on key features of cultural safety in telehealth for Indigenous people using the Johanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines and PRISMA-ScR checklist. Five electronic databases were searched, and additional literature was identified through handsearching. RESULTS: A total of 649 articles were screened resulting in 17 articles included in the review. The central themes related to the provision of culturally safe telehealth refer to attributes of the practitioner: cultural and community knowledge, communication skills and the building and maintenance of patient-provider relationships. These practitioner attributes are modified and shaped by external environmental factors: technology, the availability of support staff and the telehealth setting. DISCUSSION: This review identified practitioner-led features which enhance cultural safety but also recognised the structural factors that can contribute, both positively and negatively, to the cultural safety of a telehealth interaction. For some individuals, telehealth is not a comfortable or acceptable form of care. However, if strategies are undertaken to make telehealth more culturally safe, it has the potential to increase opportunities for access to care and thus contribute towards reducing health inequalities faced by Indigenous peoples.

Assessing cultural safety in general practice consultations for Indigenous patients: protocol for a mixed methods sequential embedded design study.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of cultural safety in general practice consultations for Indigenous patients is a complex notion. Design and development of any assessment tool needs to be cognizant that cultural safety is determined by Indigenous peoples and incorporates defined components of cultural safety and current educational theory. Consideration of how social, historical, and political determinants of health and well-being impact upon the cultural safety of a consultation is also important. Given this complexity, we assume that no single method of assessment will be adequate to determine if general practice (GP) registrars are demonstrating or delivering culturally safe care. As such, we propose that development and assessment of cultural safety can be conceptualised using a model that considers these variables. From this, we aim to develop a tool to assess whether GP registrars are conducting a culturally safe consultation, where cultural safety is determined by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. METHODS: This protocol will be situated in a pragmatic philosophical position to explore cultural safety primarily from the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients' perspective with triangulation and validation of findings with the GP and GP registrar perspective, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, and the medical education community. The study will integrate both quantitative and qualitative data through three sequential phases. Data collection will be through survey, semi-structured interviews, an adapted nominal group technique, and a Delphi questionnaire. We aim to recruit approximately 40 patient and 20 GP participants for interviews, conduct one to five nominal groups (seven to 35 participants) and recruit fifteen participants for the Delphi process. Data will be analysed through a content analysis approach to identify components of an assessment of cultural safety for GP registrars. DISCUSSION: This study will be one of the first to explore how cultural safety, as determined by Indigenous peoples, can be assessed in general practice consultations. This protocol is shared to stimulate awareness and discussion around this significant issue and prompt other studies in this area.

The influence of psychological safety on feedback conversations in general practice training.

INTRODUCTION: Fostering trainee psychological safety is increasingly being recognised as necessary for effective feedback conversations. Emerging literature has explored psychological safety in peer learning, formal feedback and simulation debrief. Yet, the conditions required for psychologically safe feedback conversations in clinical contexts, and the subsequent effects on feedback, have not been explored. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study using interviews and longitudinal audio-diaries with 12 rural general practice trainees. The data were analysed using framework thematic analysis to identify factors across the data and as individual participant case studies with illustrative vignettes of dynamic interleaving of factors in judgements about feedback conversations. FINDINGS: Findings identify the influence of intrapersonal (e.g. confidence and comfort to seek help), interpersonal (e.g. trust and relationship) and sociocultural factors (e.g. living and working in a rural community) that contribute to psychological safety in the context of everyday feedback conversations. Multiple factors interplayed in feedback conversations where registrars could feel safe and unsafe within one location and even at the one time. DISCUSSION: Participants felt psychologically safe to engage their educators in sanctioned systems of conversation related to the immediate care of the patient and yet unsafe to engage in less patient related performance conversations despite the presence of multiple positive interpersonal factors. The concept of a safe 'container' (contained space) is perhaps idealised when it comes to feedback conversations about performance in the informal and emergent spaces of postgraduate training. More research is needed into understanding how clinical environments can sanction feedback conversations in clinical environments.

Assessing health literacy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples presenting to general practice.

BACKGROUND: Health literacy is a social determinant of health, with lower levels linked to suboptimal health outcomes. There is a gap in the literature regarding the value of health literacy assessment among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and best methods with which to perform such assessments in general practice. OBJECTIVE: Literature was reviewed to determine what is known regarding health literacy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the availability of assessment tools and the implications for general practice. DISCUSSION: Despite its effect on health outcomes, the health literacy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is poorly understood, with no validated assessment tools specifically tailored to this population. Culturally insensitive screening of health literacy has potentiality to disaffect; thus, practitioners should consider assessments aligned with Indigenous methodologies such as conversational or yarning approaches or the use of a small number of screening questions. Practitioners are encouraged to adopt a universal precautions approach and use culturally appropriate conversational styles to optimise communication and healthcare outcomes.

Exploring the learning environment afforded by an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health service in a rural longitudinal integrated clerkship.

OBJECTIVES: Despite the extensive literature regarding longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs), there is very little evidence about this model in non-traditional settings, such as Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs). This study explored the key elements of the learning experience in a rural LIC programme, within an ACCHO from the perspective of multiple stakeholders including medical students, the general practice supervisory team, Aboriginal health workers (AHWs) and cultural mentors. METHODS: The study was conducted using a qualitative case-study design. Participants included Year 3 medical students and the health care team (general practitioners, practice nurse, AHWs, and a practice manager in the role of cultural mentor) from an ACCHO in regional Queensland. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Three key features were identified within the learning experience of students undertaking an LIC in the ACCHO setting. This study showed it was a safe context for learners to learn about 'culturally safe practice', 'putting relationships at the centre', and to 'try new things', reinforcing ACCHO as an invaluable site for learning. CONCLUSION: The extended clinical placement in an ACCHO setting afforded an increase in the number of opportunities to develop students' cultural safety, communication skills and relationships with patients and the supervisory team, including AHWs and cultural mentors.

Managing behavioural and developmental paediatric conditions in rural outpatient clinics: An insight to the challenge ahead.

AIM: The aim of this study is to characterise the nature and caseload of general paediatric outpatient clinics in rural Queensland and to compare the findings with national data. METHODS: A retrospective clinical audit of medical records in paediatric clinics at two rural hospitals was undertaken over a 6-month period. Data extracted included demographics, diagnostic category and onward referral outcomes. The same diagnostic categories were used as the national Children Attending Paediatricians Study (CAPS) to facilitate comparison. RESULTS: A total of 346 records were reviewed, 56 (16.2%) documented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent. Compared to national data, significantly more children with behavioural/developmental diagnoses were seen in the rural clinics (CAPS 33.8%; rural 59.2%; P < 0.001). In contrast, children presenting with medical conditions (CAPS 48.2%; rural 28.6%; P < 0.001) and mixed medical/developmental conditions (CAPS 17.9%; rural 12.1%; P = 0.006) were seen less frequently in the rural clinics. Referral rates from the rural sites were lower than the rates reported by CAPS for children with behavioural/developmental diagnoses (CAPS 35.9%, rural 24.9%; P = 0.002) and mixed diagnoses (CAPS 40.6%, rural 19.0%; P = 0.005), while there was no difference in referral rates for children with medical diagnoses (CAPS 16.1%, rural 18.2%; P = 0.575). CONCLUSIONS: Rural paediatricians' caseloads are dominated by developmental/behavioural conditions, however children with these conditions are less likely to be referred to allied health and psychology services. The reasons for lower referral rates and specific pressures upon rural health services need to be investigated in future studies to provide better health services for rural children.

Assessment of cultural safety in a post-Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) era.

BACKGROUND: As The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) introduces alternatives to the Objective Structured Clinical Examination, it is imperative that standards are continually set for a culturally safe general practice workforce. Assessments have many functions and should be continually reviewed to ensure that they require general practitioners (GPs) to demonstrate genuine cultural safety. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to highlight the complexities in assessing the cultural safety of GPs when consulting with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. DISCUSSION: Presently there is a lack of validated approaches for assessing cultural safety of GPs. This creates challenges for the RACGP in redesigning fellowship examinations. Yet in this challenge is an opportunity to consider assessment design that is not competency based, amplifies Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' voices and reflects the complexity of cultural safety.

Acceptability, technological feasibility and educational value of remotely facilitated simulation based training: A scoping review.

Although remote teaching and learning is not new to medical education, the Covid-19 pandemic has heightened its importance as a mode of education delivery. This scoping review aims to provide a narrative/iterative summary of the current literature in assessing the acceptability, educational value and technological feasibility of remotely facilitated (RF) simulation-based training (SBT) - 'telesimulation', for medical students and facilitators. The review was conducted using the method described by Arksey and O'Malley. A systematic process was followed to search multiple electronic databases supplemented with a general internet search to identify any relevant grey literature. The search strategy was developed in collaboration with medical students and educators familiar with SBT. Nine articles were identified as fitting the review inclusion criteria. The results indicated that RF SBT was positively viewed by participants but may not be viewed as equivalent to locally facilitated SBT. Participants of RF SBT felt confident to deal with common acute scenarios, believed it could expand their knowledge and skills and in turn would improve patient care in the clinical setting. Facilitators found RF SBT to be technologically feasible, promoting the acquisition of desired learning outcomes. Future research should assess the reaction to, and learning acquired during RF SBT, particularly, the perception and attitudes of facilitators. A clear research gap was identified in literature assessing the role of RF SBT in behavioural change and improved clinical care outcomes. Addresing these gaps will clarify the role of RF SBT in medical education.

Prevalence and outcomes of overweight and obesity among pregnant women in rural Queensland.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of overweight and obese women in the antenatal and perinatal periods, in rural hospitals; and to evaluate neonatal and maternal outcomes, including transfer to larger birthing centres. DESIGN: A retrospective clinical chart audit. SETTING: Rural maternity services in five Queensland rural hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Data were collected from 250 women presenting to participating rural hospitals, with an estimated due date in 2016. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Obstetric and neonatal data, whether transfer occurred, mode of delivery and any complications, and neonatal outcomes including birth weight and complications were collected. Demographic information collected included maternal age, gravidity and parity, race, smoking status and pre-pregnancy body mass index. The main outcome measures of interest were birth weight, Caesarean rate, transfer rate and diagnosis of gestational diabetes in relation to the body mass index. RESULTS: Over 50% of women were overweight or obese while entering pregnancy, with 5.2% of mothers in the morbidly obese category. There was an increase in the birth weight of mothers with a body mass index of more than 25. The increasing body mass index was associated with an increased likelihood of transfer, diagnosis of gestational diabetes, elective and, especially, emergency Caesareans performed at the hospital. Twenty-four percent of women continued to smoke throughout pregnancy. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of obesity was found in the rural obstetric population. As the body mass index increases, so too does birth weight, gestational diabetes, transfer rate and Caesarean section rate. The rates of smoking throughout pregnancy were higher than the average metropolitan rates. These findings have implications not just for rural hospital operation and resources, but also for preventive health activities in rural communities.

Learning styles in vertically integrated teaching.

BACKGROUND: With vertical integration, registrars and medical students attend the same educational workshops. It is not known whether these learners have similar or different learning styles related to their level of education within the medical training schema. This study aims to collect information about learning styles with a view to changing teaching strategies. If a significant difference is demonstrated this will impact on required approaches to teaching. METHODS: The VARK learning inventory questionnaire was administered to 36 general practice registrars and 20 medical students. The learning styles were compared as individuals and then related to their level of education within the medical training schema. RESULTS: Students had a greater preference for multimodal learning compared with registrars (62.5 per cent versus 33.3 per cent, respectively). More than half of the registrars preferred uni or bimodal learning modalities, compared with one-third of the medical students. DISCUSSION: The present workshop format based on visual and aural material will not match the learning needs of most learners. This small study has shown that the majority of medical students and registrars could have their learning preferences better met by the addition of written material to the workshop series. Surprisingly, a significantly larger number of medical students than registrars appeared to be broadly multimodal in their learning style, and this warrants further research.