Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care

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The Division focuses on research in the following areas related to Family Medicine and Primary Care:

Basic research that looks at developing the tools for research
Clinical research that focuses on conditions and clinical processes across the burden of disease
Health services research that focuses on service delivery issues e.g. access to care, co-ordination and continuity of care, comprehensiveness of care, person-centredness, and resilience
Health systems research that focuses on broader policy related issues and inputs e.g. workforce, digital technology, health information systems
Educational research related to undergraduate and postgraduate education or continuing professional development

The Masters and Doctoral level degree programmes require a research component and most of this is published. We also support students to conduct undergraduate research projects.

The Division coordinates the Stellenbosch 肆客足球 Family Physician Research Network (SUFPREN). This is a Practice Based Research Network that conducts collaborative research on questions that are prioritised by family physicians working in the public sector across the Western Cape. [link to the existing webpage]

The Division has a particular interest in research on planetary health, climate change and primary health care. We are a member of the Climate Change, Migration and Health (CliMigHealth) network? and coordinate their African Hub.

The Division was a founding member of the global Primary Health Care Research Consortium (PHCRC)? that conducted research on global prioritised research questions.

The Division collaborates with theGlobal Alliance on Chronic Diseases and has received funding to conduct research on Group Empowerment and Training (GREAT)? for people with type 2 diabetes.

The Division coordinates thePrimary Care and Family Medicine (PRIMAFAMED)? network in sub-Saharan Africa. This is a network of departments of family medicine and primary care across 25 countries. The network conducts collaborative research on topics such as human resources for health and the measurement of the core functions of primary care. The PRIMAFAMED network also developed the African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine (PHCFM)? that publishes family medicine and primary care research from across Africa. Prof Mash from the Division is the current Editor-in-Chief.

The Division also supports research capacity building through the World Organization of Family Doctor's Working Party on Research? and the publication of key books such as “How to do Primary Care Research". We also support research capacity building via the PRIMAFAMED network and mentorship of novice researchers via the AfriWon Research Collaboration.

SUFPREN

The Stellenbosch 肆客足球 Family Physician Research Network is a network of family physicians across the Western Cape who are connected with the Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care. Family physicians identify and prioritise key research questions from their clinical practice and answer them with help from researchers at the university. Researchers help to develop the proposals and tools needed for the research. Data is collected by family physicians across the network and then analysed at the university. The final report is drafted by the researchers, with editing and feedback from the network. A more detailed explanation of the practice-based research network has been published.

The initial studies conducted by this network include:

Robert Mash, Herma Steyn, Muideen Bello, Klaus von Pressentin, Liezel Rossouw, Gavin Hendricks, Germarie Fouche & Dusica Stapar (2019): The quality of feedback from outpatient departments at referral hospitals to the primary care providers in the Western Cape: a descriptive survey South African Family Practice, DOI: 10.1080/20786190.2019.1676021.
Mash RJ, Presence-Vollenhoven M, Adeniji A, et al. Evaluation of patient characteristics, management and outcomes for COVID-19 at district hospitals in the Western Cape, South Africa: descriptive observational study BMJ Open 2021;11:e047016. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2020-047016
Van Der Westhuizen, N. Factors associated with retention of medical officers in the district health services of the Western Cape, South Africa. Presentation on initial results at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 in May 2021.?
Mash R, Williams B, Stapar D, et al. Retention of medical officers in district health services, South Africa: a descriptive survey. BJGP Open. 2022;6(4):BJGPO.2022.0047. doi: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGPO.2022.0047
Mash R, Viljoen W, Swartz S, et al. Factors influencing retention of medical officers in the district health services of the Western Cape, South Africa: an exploratory descriptive qualitative study. S Afr Fam Pr. 2022;64(1):a5467. doi: https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v64i1.5467
Hutton L, Jenkins L, Mash R, et al. Medical interns in district health services: an evaluation of the new family medicine rotation in the Western Cape, South Africa. BMC Med Educ. 2023;23(636). doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04605-6

Research booklets and outputs

The students and project-leaders in the division are involved in various research activities. Please refer to research reports for further information.

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