Supporting critically conscious integrated care: A toolbox for the health professions
Health professions education has a growing obligation to develop practitioners who are conscious of health inequalities and the sociocultural dynamics of health care. This obligation is reflected in many of the competency and regulatory frameworks that drive current curricula. The central aim of integrated care is to improve patient experiences across health care settings by enhancing service coordination. Although addressing health inequalities is one of the core purposes of integrated care and its systems, educators have little guidance on how to effectively translate this into teaching activities. The reality of health care funding and constraints means that integrated care services may struggle to challenge health inequalities in a meaningful way. Patients from minoritised and marginalised backgrounds are more likely to fall through the cracks between health care services, experiencing fragmented care and negative effects on their physical and mental health due to poor integration. Further, scholars have continually drawn attention to two key issues: first, today's graduates' lack of awareness of social determinants of health and, second, the necessity for practitioners to take action in challenging the conditions that contribute to health inequalities.
- Source:
- Clinical Teacher´s Toolbox
- Audience:
- Professionals