Longitudinal integrated clerkship engagement of clinical associate students in South Africa: e-logbook data evidence

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ABSTRACT

  • 1Steyn C,
  • 2Tshotetsi L ,
  • 3Louw M ,
  • 4Ngcobo S ,
  • 5Tshabalala Z ,
  • 6Madela-Mntla E
  • 1Department of Family Medicine and Primary Health Care, School of Medicine, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University
  • 2Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria
  • 3Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria
  • 4Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria
  • 5Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria
  • 6Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria

Background

Clinical associate students from different clinical learning centres need to show timely evidence of their longitudinal integrated clerkship exposure, so an electronic logbook was introduced.
Objective
To describe patients logged by second- and third-year clinical associate students during their longitudinal integrated clerkship rotation in 2022 from 15 clinical learning centres in four South African provinces.

Method

This study was a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of patients logged in 2022 by students in hospitals and clinics. Second- and third-year clinical associate students were allocated to rural and urban clinical learning centres where patient logging was done electronically.

Result

Across 15 clinical learning centres, 88 clinical associate students logged 26,392 patients. The age range of the patients was between 0 days and 106 years. Of the 12,925 patients logged by third-year students, most patients (28%) were logged in the emergency medicine discipline. Second-year students logged most patients in the musculoskeletal theme (18% of 13,406). The students selected specific diagnoses for 12,417 patients. The top five diagnoses were HIV (n=3217), hypertension (n=3173), trauma (n=2223), pregnancy-related (n=2123), and diabetes (n=1734). Second year students did not log many paediatric and mental health patients.

Conclusion

Due to authentic learning and exposure to various diagnoses, patients and procedures during their longitudinal integrated clerkship, clinical associate students will most likely be well-prepared for the workplace. The students’ e-logbook data recorded during longitudinal integrated clerkship demonstrate their clinical exposure and learning opportunities.
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PRESENTING AUTHOR

Dr. Carien Steyn, MMed (FM)(SMU), FCFP (SA), MBChB (UL Medunsa)

Senior Lecturer, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

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