Postgraduate Diploma in General Practice

Purpose

The purpose is to equip general practitioners with the knowledge and skills to survive in an environment with ever-changing influences of the external environment. The programme is design to meet the needs of medical practitioners in the continuous updating and expansion of their knowledge to ultimately satisfy the need of the community and other role-players such as HPCSA and the Government. It is a formal qualification that can provide access to further study in general practise at NQF level 7.

Rationale

The discipline of medicine and the environment in which it is being practiced is continuously evolving. The bulk of General Practitioners in South Africa (75%) practice as self employed practitioners in the private sector. The nature of this practice removes them from regular academic interaction and therefore accesses to readily available information on advances in medicine.

The need for medical practitioners to be involved in continuous learning was acknowledge by the Health Professional Council of South Africa (HPCSA). though the introduction of an obligating system of Continuing Professional Development (CPD ) in 1998.

Under this system medical practitioners need to acquire 50 CPD credits per annum. Note in the CPD system 1 hour of study equals 1 credit. With the exception of an obligation of having to acquire 2 credits per annum in the discipline of ethics and a limit on the amount of non-clinical education per annum, no format or structured study is required.

Changes in private health care with the introduction of managed health care and the effects of the brain drain is also reducing the ability of General Practitioners especially in rural areas to refer cases to specialist.

The PGD in GP is therefore designed to provide an easily assessable (through distance education) curriculum that will allow structured continuing professional development around a subject of direct relevance to their practice environment.

The clinical subjects address the more pressing public health issues while. non clinical subjects are designed to help General Practitioners deal with a rapidly changing health care environment.

• This qualification assumes that the learner is competent in the language of instruction of the provider.
• That the learner who register for this programme can:

> Learn from predominantly written material.

> Learn and take responsibility for their own progress.

• 1 Year of approved clinical experience after registration as a medical practitioner.

Recognition of prior learning

This qualification may be achieved in part through the recognition of prior learning. Individual learners will be assessed against the exit level outcomes of the qualification on a case-by-case basis. Such procedures, and the assessment of individual cases, are subject to moderation by independent-assessors.

Access to the qualification

Prospective students must be in possession of the MBChB or equivalent, recognized as such by the FPD for at least 1 year, and be registered with the Health Professions Council or a similar regulatory body outside South Africa, as a physician.

Level, total credits, required credits and learning components assigned to the qualification

The Postgraduate Diploma in General Practice is a 240-credit qualification at NQF level 7.

Learning Components, number of credits allocated and NQF level

Compulsory: 130 credits: 7

Fundamental: 35 credits

• Health law and ethics: 15 credits: 7
• Practice Management: 20 credits: 7

Core: 95 credits

• Mental Health: 15 credits: 7
• HIV/AIDS: 20 credits: 7
• Diabetes Mellitus: 15 credits: 7
• Cardiovascular Diseases: 15 credits: 7
• Tuberculosis: 15 credits: 7
• Asthma: 15 credits: 7

Electives: 110 credits: 7

• Rheumatology: 20 credits: 7
• Epilepsy: 10 credits: 7
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome: 10 credits: 7
• Anaesthesiology: 30 credits: 7
• Clinical Trials: 20 credits: 7
• Evaluating Professional Drivers: 20 credits: 7
• Practice pathology: 10 credits: 7
• Rational use of antibiotics: 10 credits: 7
• llergies: 20 credits: 7
• Dermatology: 20 credits: 7
• Obesity: 10 Credits: 7
• Urinary incontinence: 10 Credits: 7
• Renal impairment: 10 Credits: 7

Exit level outcomes

Compulsory

Mental Health

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to adequately manage patients to attain mental health.

HIV/AIDS

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to adequately manage patients with HIV and or AIDS.

Diabetes Mellitus

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to adequately manage patients with Diabetes Mellitus.

Cardiovascular Diseases

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to adequately manage patients with cardio vascular diseases.

Tuberculosis

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to adequately manage patients with tuberculosis.

Asthma

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to adequately manage patients with asthma.

Health law and ethics

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to identify the effect and impact of the most important legislative provisions relating to health and health care practitioners and recognize and understand public health care. Learners will be able to identify situations where ethical principles are to be uitilised and be able to debate and solve such dilemmas.

Practice Management

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to effectively and efficiently manage a private practice.At the end of this module the learner will be able to manage a health care practice as a business.

Electives

Rheumatology

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to adequately manage commonly occurring rheumatological conditions.

Epilepsy

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to adequately manage patients with epilepsy.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to adequately manage patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Anaesthesiology

• On successful completion of this module the learner will have a updated knowledge on the safe management of anaesthesia.

Clinical Trials

• On successful completion of this module the learner will have good clinical practice in research.

Evaluating Professional Drivers

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to clinically evaluate professional drivers.

Practice pathology

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to select the appropriate laboratory test per patient and interpret it correct.

Rational use of antibiotics

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to prescribe antibiotics rationally.

Allergies

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to manage allergies adequately.

Dermatology

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to adequately manage dermatological conditions in patients.

Obesity

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to adequately manage patients with obesity.

Urinary incontinence

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to adequately manage patients with incontinence.

Renal Impairment

• On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to adequately manage patients with renal Impairment.

In the assessment strategy as a whole, evidence must be demonstrated through a variety of methods: case studies, assignments, portfolios and multiple-choice questionnaires. The assessment will measure competence. In other words, it assesses whether participants can apply theory in practise.

The applied competence of this qualification will be achieved if a learner is able to achieve all the exit level outcomes of the qualification. Certain exit level outcomes are measurable and verifiable through assessment criteria assessed in one application.

Competence will be assessed through formative and summative assessment.

Formative assessment

• Formative assessment takes place during the process of learning and assessors should use a range of assessment methods and tools that support each other to assess total competence. These tools include the following:

> Case studies.

> Experiential learning including work based assignments.

• The assessment method and or tools used by the assessor must be fair so as not to hinder or advantage the learner. They must be valid, reliable and effective.

Summative assessment

• Summative assessment is carried out at the end of each module to assess the achievement of the learner.
• Learners will produce evidence through a portfolio of the following related to core and relevant elective modules as enrolled for:

> The correct assessing, diagnosing (clinical and associated tests) and referring of patients throughout the lifespan.

• Written assignments will be done on the fundamental modules.

Integrated assessment

Continuous assessment is used throughout all the modules. Learners must demonstrate their ability to achieve the outcomes of the qualification. The assessments will take the form of case studies, written examinations and portfolios.

Learners' ability to apply knowledge in their practise will be assessed. The theoretical foundation as well as their ability to change existing practises to evidence based practice will be assessed.