Jenny Stewart and Kate Haswell
Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Primary Health Care
The introduction of Primary Health Care (PHC) policy in New Zealand (NZ) demands that health professional education and work practice respond. Initiatives are underway to develop health professionals� capacity in PHC. One initiative in NZ has involved the development of a Self-Check Tool for physiotherapists to evaluate their readiness to work in a PHC framework. The development of the tool was prompted by international evidence that physiotherapists can contribute effectively to the prevention and management of long-term conditions such as cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory conditions, arthritis, cancer, low back pain and mental health conditions. The design of the Self-check Tool was underpinned by the principles outlined in the New Zealand Primary Health Care Strategy which are based on the Alma Ata Declaration and the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. Development of specific items in the tool was further informed by a literature review. Expert members of the Physiotherapy New Zealand Primary Health Care working party were surveyed to establish content validity of the tool. Excellent content validity was demonstrated with an overall score of 0.937, exceeding the acceptable index of 0.8. The main purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate how this Self-check Tool is linked to a University degree curriculum that builds the capacity of physiotherapy students and graduates to work in PHC. The key underlying concepts and principles that are consistent between the tool and the academic programme are population health, health planning, community and professional networking, requisite knowledge and reflective practice.
Email: jenny.stewart@aut.ac.nz
