Keywords: medical education; social prescribing; community referral; rural healthcare; general practice; community orientation
Justification:
The World Health Organisation defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Historically the focus of healthcare education has been on diagnosing and treating disease. The WONCA Europe Special Interest Group on Social Prescribing and Community Orientation (SPCO) is concerned with how connecting people to non-clinical initiatives in the community can improve health and well-being. This is especially important within rural primary care due to the higher prevalence of social isolation and loneliness. The SPCO SIG is reviewing and promoting integration of community orientation into healthcare education. The goal is to create an understanding around the needs and assets within communities for future healthcare professionals.
Objective:
Explore how undergraduate students and postgraduate trainees in rural medical school and training programmes are engaged with the concept of community orientation in various European contexts.
Find inspiration to explore how social prescribing and community orientation can be incorporated in curriculum and rural primary care placements within your own context.
Organisation:
After a short introduction, the participants will explore in small break-out groups how undergraduate students and postgraduate trainees in rural medical schools and training programmes can be or are engaged with the concept of community orientation. The findings of the smaller groups will be shared in a plenary.
Participation:
This workshop is for rural healthcare practitioners, students, trainees and academics. Active participation is encouraged.
Expected outcomes:
The participants will develop an understanding of social prescribing and community orientation.
Shared experiences on how community orientation can be or is integrated into healthcare education will inspire participants to further develop and incorporate it within their own context.
The findings of the workshop will help to develop a toolkit to promote integration of Social Prescribing and Community Orientation within European healthcare education.
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