How do we prepare future health professionals to work together around the needs of patients, families and communities? New rural health research co-authored by UCRH researcher Frances Barraclough explores one possible answer.
Published in BMC Medical Education, the paper The use of a validated competency framework to guide the implementation of integrated care into the curriculum and accreditation of health and social care professionals in Australia examined how integrated care can be better embedded into the education of health and social care students and professionals.
The study involved interviews with curriculum leaders from universities across Australia to understand their views on integrated care and whether an existing international competency framework could help guide teaching and accreditation.
Researchers found that integrated care training is currently inconsistent, with many educators reporting uncertainty about what integrated care means in practice and how a competency framework could be used. At the same time, participants identified strong opportunities to improve how it is taught across the country.
Three key areas emerged where the framework could make a difference: national workforce reform, curriculum transformation, and leadership and culture. The findings suggest that integrated care training should become a standard part of health and social care education, helping graduates enter the workforce with the skills needed to deliver more coordinated care.
The paper also highlights the value of a shared national framework, giving educators, universities and accreditation bodies a clearer pathway for building integrated care into training programs.
As a centre committed to research and innovation in rural health, UCRH continues to contribute to work that helps strengthen health education and support a more connected health workforce for communities across Australia.
