Primary Health Care Practitioners Research Articles

Development of a pain self-management intervention framework for people with spinal cord injury

Background: Pain is the most common reason for medical visits to primary health care practitioners. Pain self-management interventions are encouraged and there is no known self-management intervention framework available that clinicians and people with spinal cord injury (PWSCI) can use to guide treatment selection.Aim: This study aimed to develop a pain self-management intervention framework for PWSCI.Setting: Online and facilitated in Gauteng, South Africa.Methods: A three-round modified e-Delphi method was used to reach an 80% consensus among a 21-expert panel. Fifty-nine interventions were distributed via REDCap and a final online audio meeting was held to either include or exclude interventions in the final framework. SPSS v27 was used to analyse descriptive data and content analysis was used for qualitative responses.Results: The final developed pain self-management framework consists of 56 interventions and includes interventions from multiple health professions to encompass medical, psychological, therapeutic and social interventions. Interventions are also specified for nociceptive and/or neuropathic pain and grouped according to the biopsychosocial model.Conclusion: The interprofessional framework may be used as a guideline for PWSCI to alleviate pain, as well as assist health professionals in clinical decision-making, by providing them with the freedom to choose acceptable and adequate interventions that may be appropriate to treat the affected individual’s pain.Contribution: Pain management is a basic need at the primary healthcare level and PWSCI need access to the broad range of interventions available to manage their pain. The framework highlights the variety of appropriate interventions to guide both health professionals and PWSCI with pain relief options.

1.D. Workshop: Long COVID: A Myth or a reality?

Abstract COVID-19 has been a pandemic since 2020 and to date has resulted in a substantial global burden through both morbidity and mortality. Long term symptoms impacting the mental, social, and physical well-being among COVID-19 survivors started to be noted from early pandemic. This phenomenon was reported as Long COVID, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has now defined it as “a condition that occurs in those with probable or confirmed COVID-19 infection where symptoms last for at least two months from the onset of the infection”. Yet, the paucity of longitudinal cohort studies and clinical trials on Long COVID presents the scientific, clinical, and public health ecosystems with limited understanding pertaining to this new condition as well as presents uncertainty on whether “Long COVID is a myth or a reality?” Additionally, on a country level, the level of preparedness to deal with Long COVID at a population level and through healthcare services are not established. With over 60% of Europeans reported to suffer from Long COVID, this timely workshop is set to bring forward a pan-European expert consensus on the existence and the deterrent effects attributed to Long COVID, with recommendations for the way forward. The workshop will start off by presenting the overall impact of COVID on the well-being of middle-aged and older adults residing in 27 European countries as well as explores whether having Long COVID further deteriorate their well-being. The symptoms of Long COVID will be explored along with their effect on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL), fatigue, mental well-being, while investigating the determinants that diminish HRQoL. This will provide an all-rounded approach to the direct effects of Long COVID. It is known that Long COVID individuals will seek their first medical care contact at primary healthcare. Therefore, the workshop will explore the general practitioner's knowledge, perceptions, and experience on Long COVID's diagnosis and management across two European countries. This will provide an insight whether primary healthcare practitioners are equipped with dealing with this emerging syndrome. The workshop then focuses on Italy's perspective, at a country level, in managing Long COVID through Good Clinical Practice and access to national services. Finally, a European overview of the Long-COVID-19 situation from a population health perspective will be provided and it will offer unique insights on the development of different tools, strategies and structures in national healthcare systems and their fight against long-COVID. Key messages • Long COVID is causing deterrent effects and impact the physical, mental, social and economic status of the populations. • We need better tools (e.g., registries or targeted Health Examination Surveys) to assess the situation and to customise health care provision for the current patients and avoid the further spread.

General practitioners’ knowledge, perception and experience on Long Covid: a cross-sectional study in Belgium and Malta

Abstract Background Over 10% of Covid-19 infected people experience persistent symptoms (Long Covid). As most Long Covid cases are in patients with a mild acute Covid-19 infection, primary health care and general practitioners (GPs) are at the forefront in their care. This study investigated GPs’ knowledge, perception and experience on Long Covid at cross-country level. Methods A cross-sectional study targeting GPs was conducted in Belgium and Malta during mid-2022. An online survey on Long Covid was disseminated. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed. Results The survey was completed by 150 GPs (105 for Belgium, 45 for Malta). In both countries, most GPs reported insufficient scientific knowledge and information on Long Covid diagnosis and treatment. Accessibility to educational material was limited and an awareness-rising campaign was seen as merited, especially by Maltese GPs (OR = 6.81, 95%CI [1.49;31.12]). For diagnosing Long Covid, 54.7% reported the requirement of a positive Covid-19 test, more among Belgian than Maltese GPs (64.3% vs 45.2%, p = 0.036). To assess Long Covid, GPs applied diagnostic criteria by themselves (47.3%) in combination with persistent symptoms. 76.0% GPs reported caring for Long Covid patients, irrespective of practice type and GPs’ country, sex or age (p = 0.353; p = 0.241; p = 0.194; p = 0.058). Although most GPs (94.7%, p = 0.291) stated that Long Covid patients should follow multidisciplinary approach, only 29.8% of them reported to care for these patients by multidisciplinary cooperation and 48.3% by themselves/GP colleagues. Conclusions GPs frequently provide care to Long Covid patients and GPs’ care showed similarities at cross-country level. Although GPs perceived lack of scientific knowledge and educational material on Long Covid, similar diagnostic criteria were noted. Across Europe, uniform evidence-based guidelines, scientific support and training for GPs must be a priority to empower GPs in their Long Covid approach.

Determinants of primary healthcare providers' readiness for integration of ART services at departmental levels: A case study of Lira City and District, Uganda.

Decreasing or flattening funding for vertical HIV services means that new and innovative ways of providing care are necessary. This study aimed to assess the determinants of readiness for integration of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) services at the departmental level among primary health care providers (PHCP) at selected health facilities in Lira District. A cross-sectional survey employing mixed methods approaches was conducted between January and February 2022 among 340 primary healthcare practitioners (PHCP) at selected health facilities in Lira district. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data. Quantitative data was analyzed using Stata version 15. and presented as proportions, means, percentages, frequencies, and odds ratios. Logistic regression was used to determine associations of the factors with readiness for ART integration at a 95% level of significance. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The majority 75.2% (95% CI; 0.703-0.795) of the respondents reported being ready for the integration of ART services. PHCPs who were aware of the integration of services and those who had worked in the same facility for at least 6 years had higher odds of readiness for integration of ART, compared with their counterparts [aOR = 7.36; 95% CI = 3.857-14.028, p-value <0.001] for knowledge and duration at the current facility [aOR = 2.92; 95% CI = 1.293-6.599, p-value < 0.05] respectively. From the qualitative data, the dominant view was that integration is a good thing that should be implemented immediately. However, several challenges were noted, key among which include limited staffing and drug supplies at the facilities, coupled with limited space. The study reveals a high level of readiness for the integration of ART services at departmental levels among Primary Healthcare Providers. Notably, PHCPs knowledgeable about integration and those who spent at least six years at the current health facility of work, were strong determinants for the integration of ART services in resource limited settings. In light of these findings, we recommend that policymakers prioritize the implementation of training programs aimed at upskilling healthcare workers. Furthermore, we advocate that a cluster randomized controlled trial be conducted, to evaluate the long-term effects of this integration on overall health outcomes.

Risk factors of recurrent respiratory infections in early school-age children

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) annually rank first in the structure of infectious diseases both in Ukraine and worldwide. ARIs are the leading cause of disability and death in preschool children, and with recurrent episodes, they can impact the physical and psychological aspects of children's health, imposing a significant medical burden on families, healthcare systems, and society as a whole. Preventing recurrent respiratory infections (RRIs) can only be achieved through timely intervention in risk factors.Aim: to determine the influence of risk factors on the development of recurrent episodes of acute respiratory infections in children aged 5 to 7 years and to develop preventive measures for their control in primary healthcare settings.Materials and Methods. The authors retrospectively analyzed medical records of 342 children aged 5 to 7 years. The main group included children with RRIs (264), and the control group consisted of children with sporadic illness episodes (78). Results: the incidence of RRIs in children has two peaks at ages 3 and 6, which is likely associated with the commencement of attendance in childcare settings (kindergarten and school). Key prenatal and postnatal, clinical-anamnestic, and social risk factors that increase the likelihood of recurrent respiratory infections in younger school-age children were identified.Conclusions. factors significantly increasing the likelihood of developing RRIs in a child include: ARI episode within the first 6 months of life (OR = 22, 95% CI 11.6 - 41.7), previous pneumonia (OR = 12, 95% CI 3.7 - 40), and the presence of chronic infection foci in the form of tonsillitis (OR = 8.2, 95% CI 4.3 - 15.6), p=0.0001. Primary healthcare practitioners should follow strategies to modify these risk factors and not wait for further depletion of the child's adaptive potential (sanitation of chronic infection foci, promotion of breastfeeding, and tobacco cessation).

Clinical Data based XGBoost Algorithm for infection risk prediction of patients with decompensated cirrhosis: a 10-year (2012–2021) Multicenter Retrospective Case-control study

ObjectivesTo appraise effective predictors for infection in patients with decompensated cirrhosis (DC) by using XGBoost algorithm in a retrospective case-control study.MethodsClinical data were retrospectively collected from 6,648 patients with DC admitted to five tertiary hospitals. Indicators with significant differences were determined by univariate analysis and least absolute contraction and selection operator (LASSO) regression. Further multi-tree extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) machine learning-based model was used to rank importance of features selected from LASSO and subsequently constructed infection risk prediction model with simple-tree XGBoost model. Finally, the simple-tree XGBoost model is compared with the traditional logical regression (LR) model. Performances of models were evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), sensitivity, and specificity.ResultsSix features, including total bilirubin, blood sodium, albumin, prothrombin activity, white blood cell count, and neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio were selected as predictors for infection in patients with DC. Simple-tree XGBoost model conducted by these features can predict infection risk accurately with an AUROC of 0.971, sensitivity of 0.915, and specificity of 0.900 in training set. The performance of simple-tree XGBoost model is better than that of traditional LR model in training set, internal verification set, and external feature set (P < 0.001).ConclusionsThe simple-tree XGBoost predictive model developed based on a minimal amount of clinical data available to DC patients with restricted medical resources could help primary healthcare practitioners promptly identify potential infection.

Models of clinical supervision of relevance to remote area nursing & primary health care: A scoping review.

Nurses in remote primary health care settings work in difficult conditions, in isolated and disadvantaged communities, and often must work beyond their scope to provide advanced assessments and treatments to support the community. Therefore, remote area nurses require support to develop their skills and knowledge to work safely within their full scope of practice. Clinical supervision is widely used in health professions for this purpose; however, models of supervision for nursing have not been implemented or evaluated within remote primary health care settings. The purpose of this study was to search the literature to source suitable clinical supervision models that could pertain to the remote area nursing context. An initial search of the literature found no clinical supervision models developed for remote or isolated practice nurses so a scoping review was conducted searching for publications related to advanced practice generalist health practitioners in primary health care, including practice nurses, nurse practitioners and general practitioners. This was seen as a suitable substitute because the phenomena of interest were the model of supervision rather than the specific skills or knowledge being developed. The scoping review search yielded 251 articles from 5 journal databases of which 11 articles met the inclusion criteria. Each clinical supervision model was described and synthesised using qualitative description. The 11 models of clinical supervision had differing formats including; individual and group clinical supervision, in-person, telephone, medical records review and video case study. Whilst several models were described in the literature, none were directly transferrable to the remote area context. The absence of supervision for cultural safety was significant. There was a variety of modes including face-to-face, virtual, individual and group proposed. Cultural considerations were lacking in all of the models. Our study recommends a hybrid clinical supervision model suitable for consultation and validation through pilot testing with remote area nurses. There is potential for this model to be used globally in isolated contexts due to the option of virtual participation.

Can social prescribing put the 'social' into the biopsychosocial management of people with long-term musculoskeletal disorders?

Chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are a significant burden on individuals' quality of life and society and are made more complex by the presence of multimorbidity. It is recommended that interventions targeting MSD be sustainable, equitable and incorporate the biopsychosocial model of care (BPS). A criticism of the BPS approach is that the social component of this model is not addressed adequately during the management of people with long-term MSD and that a gap exists between theory and implementation. The use of social prescribing (SP) as an intervention to bridge this gap is discussed. Social prescribing is a holistic non-medical person-centered approach to well-being that utilizes link workers (LW) to support individuals with long-term conditions (LTC) in the community. Social prescribing referrals are received from primary healthcare practitioners to LW and range from light touch signposting for employment or financial advice to more intensive support for LTC such as obesity, decreased physical activity and mental health needs. There is evidence to suggest that SP interventions are effective in the management of LTC; however, due to the paucity of high-quality evidence, it is difficult to be conclusive. Large-scale randomised controlled trials are recommended to support the use of SP interventions in the management of LTC.

A predictive score for severity in patients with confirmed dengue fever in a tertiary care hospital in Kerala, India.

The study aimed to identify predictors of severe dengue during the 2017 epidemic and to develop and validate a simple predictive score for severity. A retrospective analytical study was conducted using clinical and laboratory data from adult dengue patients with a confirmed microbiological diagnosis. The study included patients who presented to a tertiary care centre in Kerala, India, during the febrile phase (≤4d) between June 2017 and February 2019. Using appropriate statistical tests, we derived predictors of severe disease and computed a risk score model. Of the 153 patients (mean age 50±17y; 64% males), 31 (20%) had severe dengue and 4 (3%) died. Petechial lesions, hypoalbuminemia (<3.5 g/dl), elevated alanine aminotransferase (>40IU/l) and urea >40IU/l were significant predictors. Our scoring system (cut-off: 2) showed excellent performance, with an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.9741, sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 96% and accuracy of 98%. The risk score was secondarily validated on 48 patients hospitalized from March 2019 to June 2019. Our scoring system is easy to implement and will help primary healthcare practitioners in promptly identifying severe dengue cases upon hospital presentation.

Diagnostic Accuracy and economic value of a Tiered Assessment for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (DATAforFASD): Protocol

IntroductionAustralian practices for diagnosing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) are lengthy and require specialist expertise. Specialist teams are based in urban locations; they are expensive and have prolonged waitlists. Innovative,...

Prevalence and reasons to seek traditional healing methods among residents of two localities in North Kordofan State, Sudan 2022: A cross-sectional study.

Traditional medicines are one of Africa's primary response mechanisms to medical emergencies, while, in other communities, all healthcare decisions are based on indigenous traditions and beliefs. For millions of individuals who reside in rural areas throughout low- and middle-income nations, those healers serve as their only primary healthcare practitioners. This study intends to examine the availability, preferences, and practices of traditional medicine seeking among the Sudanese of North Kordofan state. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in two conveniently chosen localities in North Kordofan state, namely Barrah, and Shaikan. A structured questionnaire with three sections-sociodemographic, attitudes, and forms of traditional medical practices-was used for face-to-face interviews with the residents. The frequency (n) and percentage (%) of categorical data are presented. The Chi-square and Fischer exact tests were performed to determine characteristics related to traditional medicine practice and the preferred type of medicine among participants; a p value of.05 was considered significant. A total of 302 residents took part in the study, with the 15-30 age group constituting the majority. The majority of participants (89.1%) used traditional medicine, and the majority of them (92.4%) learned about it from their families. The major type of traditional medicine (60.3%) used was a medical herbs-herb practitioner. Cultural influences (57%) and the effectiveness of traditional medicines (48.3%) were the most common reasons for seeking those medicines. Most participants seek traditional medicine, with traditional herbs and holy recitation commonly used. Affordability, therapeutic effectiveness, and cultural and religious influence were reasons for preferring traditional medicine.

Experience with the Implementation of Continuous Medical Education among Mother-and-Child Healthcare Providers in Ukraine: A Case Study Based on Two International Collaboration Initiatives

Background: Healthcare labor market shortages due to migration, inadequate investments, and lack of continuous training are essential concerns in the Eastern European region. This article aims to describe and reflect on the experience with the implementation of continuous medical education among mother-and-child healthcare providers in Ukraine, including achievements, challenges, and barriers. We analyze this case based on two international collaboration initiatives: the Swiss–Ukrainian program in mother-and-child health that ran from 2000 to 2015, supplemented by the recent Ukrainian–Swiss project “Medical education development” in 2018–2023. Methods: We use a case study approach as the methodology for our study. We collected data from documents (project reports reviews) and in-depth interviews with stakeholders. We apply the method of directed qualitative content analysis. Results: As a result of the Swiss–Ukrainian collaborations, the knowledge and awareness of medical personnel were greatly improved. Modern clinical concepts not well understood at the outset became commonplace and were incorporated into clinical activities. Nevertheless, obstacles to the implementation and rapid uptake of changes were found in the lack of knowledge of the English language among medical doctors, the fear of changes, and the lack of openness and readiness for novel evidence-based clinical practices. However, primary healthcare practitioners in this new project seem to be more inclined to change. Conclusions: A modernized continuous medical education which is based on the values of openness, respect, dialogue, and professionalism can be implemented with the input of an international assistance program despite the resistance of the system towards change.

Practitioner's knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices towards urinary incontinence.

One in three women in South Africa suffer from urinary incontinence. Effective management is influenced by patients help-seeking behaviour and services offered by healthcare professionals within the healthcare system. Current practice towards urinary incontinence management in South Africa is unknown. Our study aimed to describe and compare urinary incontinence practice and knowledge of nurses and physicians (practitioners) working in primary healthcare settings, measured against the NICE 2013 guideline and explore attitudes and beliefs towards urinary incontinence management. Cross-sectional study using a self-designed online questionnaire. All primary healthcare practitioners in the Western Cape were eligible for the study. Stratified random and snowball sampling was used. Data was analysed in consultation with a statistician using SPSS. Fifty-six completed questionnaires were analysed. Practitioners had an overall knowledge score of 66.7% and practice score of 68.9% compared to NICE 2013 guidelines. A lack of knowledge regarding urinary incontinence screening, following up on patients and conducting bladder diaries were noted. Pelvic floor muscle training and bladder training education was recognised as initial management but only 14.8% of practitioners referred patients to physiotherapy. Half of the sample reported being uncomfortable with urinary incontinence, although the majority wanted to learn more about urinary incontinence. The knowledge and practices of practitioners working at a primary healthcare level in the Western Cape are not congruent with NICE 2013 guidelines. Data can be used to inform intervention planning to address urinary incontinence management at a primary healthcare level in the Western Cape.

Anorexia nervosa through the lens of primary health care practitioners in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Anorexia nervosa was investigated in a large number of studies. Several of the studies in our review highlighted how important it is to factor in the opinion of health care practitioners if we want to improve the quality of the medical care provided to patients with anorexia nervosa. Additionally, the dominance of studies focused on anorexia nervosa within the Western culture raised the need for cultural diversity in such research. The present study endeavored to explore how primary healthcare practitioners in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, perceive anorexia nervosa and people who suffer from it. The study used the qualitative approach of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Six semi-structured interviews with six primary health care practitioners from Bishkek were conducted. The analysis of the collected data pointed towards four themes: (1) Anorexia nervosa as a reaction to distressing events in the form of loss of appetite; (2) Attributing blame for developing anorexia nervosa by a patient to family members; (3) Local versus Western socio-cultural standards in the development of anorexia nervosa and seeking treatment; and (4) Denial of mental health disorders by patients. The discussion of the interpreted results led us to the conclusion that the perceptions of the health care providers in Bishkek represent the common prism through which anorexia nervosa is viewed in the larger population, which is constructed out of information received from the physical and virtual environments.

Allergic rhinitis guidelines knowledge, attitudes, and practices among primary health care physicians: A national multicentre cross-sectional study.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is considered one of the most common reasons for patients visiting primary health care clinics. Physicians' adherence to management guidelines for AR results in better patient outcomes. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of primary health care practitioners (PHCPs) towards allergic rhinitis guidelines in Saudi Arabia. This observational cross-sectional study conducted from August 2021 to November 2021 included 282 primary care physicians across all regions of Saudi Arabia. We used a two-part, validated, self-administered Perception Attitude and Practice of Primary Care Practitioners questionnaire. The first part was demographics, and the second part comprised three domains (perception, attitude, and practice) including 48 items. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 21 was used to analyze the data. Most of the 282 physicians were Saudis (79%). Allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma (ARIA) guidelines were recognized by 71% of the physicians. Second-generation oral antihistamines were considered the safest drug by the majority (82%), followed by intranasal corticosteroids (75.2%). Most physicians diagnosed AR based on clinical history (95%), while (43%) utilized allergy testing. Intranasal corticosteroids were the most preferred treatment option (70%) followed by second-generation and first-generation oral antihistamines (66% and 55%, respectively). Our study demonstrates the importance of education and awareness for PHCPs managing AR. ARIA guidelines should be implemented as a standard of care for AR, as PHCPs are the first ones to encounter patients with AR, to improve outcomes and avoid undertreatment and complications.

Prescription Opioid Pain Medication Use among Patients Attending a US Dental College Clinic: Prevalence and Implications

Purpose: Due to the increased opioids abuse in US during the past several decades, efforts have been made to counter this trend through regulation of use of prescription opioid pain medications. This study assesses the use of these medications by adult dental patients attending a US dental college clinic during February 2017 to October 2021. Methods: A self-administered anonymous questionnaire was used to gather data from patients on demographics and patterns of utilization of medications. Results: Among the patients included in the study, the majority were 51 to 70 years of ages, females, Caucasians, and with minimum high school education. Nine prescription opioid medications were used, and of these, hydrocodone and oxycodone were more common. Most patients used single medications, of which the majority were utilized for a few days up to 4 weeks. Nearly all medications were prescribed by 10 different health profession specialists, and the majority comprised emergency medicine physicians, primary health care practitioners and dentists. Most patients used their medications as intended, without sharing with others, and also expressed their satisfactions with the medications they used. Conclusions: The study suggests that the recently reported opioid epidemic in US is less related to use of prescription medication, but to other external factors, including the non-medical use of potent synthetic compounds, such as fentanyl, as widely reported in the literature. Such a recognition, while warranting further studies on the topic, provides additional justifications for enhanced focus on this aspect of opioid abuse.

Nasal Blockage and Academic Performance Among Medical College Students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Objectives The most frequent otolaryngological complaint is nasal obstruction. We aimed to determine if there is a relationship between nasal blockage and academic performance among medical collegestudents in Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional survey carried out from August to December 2022, included 860 medical students determining the risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on the participants using the Berlin Sleep Questionnaire Risk Probability, then comparing it to their socio-demographic characteristics, while the Chi-square test was used for the comparison of categorical variables. Result The average age of the participants in our study was 21.52 years; 60% were females and 40% were males. The risk of obstructive sleep apnea was found to be two times higher in females than in males (95% CI: 1.195- 3.345; p-value 0.008). The hypertensive participants had a 27-fold increased risk of OSA compared to non-hypertensives. Grade Point Average (GPA) and snoring had a statistically significant relationship, however, a fifth of the participants reported snoring (79.8% reported not snoring). We also found that 14.8% of the participants with snoring had a GPA between 2-4.49 compared to 44.6% of participants without snoring. Conclusion Female students had a two-fold higher chance of developing OSA than males. While a GPA of 4.5 and above was more often associated with participants without snoring, the number of individuals with a GPA of 2-4.49 was greater among participants with snoring. To aid in the prevention of illness complications and the management of risk factors, additional efforts should be made to increase disease knowledge among students, primary healthcare practitioners, and specialty doctors.

Physiotherapist as Health Promotion Practitioners in Primary Health Care (PHC) in Riyadh City

Physiotherapist as Health Promotion Practitioners in Primary Health Care (PHC) in Riyadh City

O.O.8.6 - (WIP) Developing an empathy-informed Communications Toolkit for primary healthcare practitioners: Presenter(s): Maeve O'Brien, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, Ireland

O.O.8.6 - (WIP) Developing an empathy-informed Communications Toolkit for primary healthcare practitioners: Presenter(s): Maeve O'Brien, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, Ireland

Experiences of Primary Healthcare Workers in Australia towards Women and Girls Living with Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C): A Qualitative Study.

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a harmful cultural practice with significant health consequences for affected women and girls. Due to migration and human mobility, an increasing number of women with FGM/C are presenting to healthcare facilities of western countries (including Australia) where the practice is non-prevalent. Despite this increase in presentation, the experiences of primary healthcare providers in Australia engaging and caring for women/girls with FGM/C are yet to be explored. The aim of this research was to report on the Australian primary healthcare providers' experiences of caring for women living with FGM/C. A qualitative interpretative phenomenological approach was utilised and convenience sampling was used to recruit 19 participants. Australian primary healthcare providers were engaged in face-to-face or telephone interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Three major themes emerged, which were: exploring knowledge of FGM/C and training needs, understanding participants' experience of caring for women living with FGM/C, and mapping the best practice in working with women. The study shows that primary healthcare professionals had basic knowledge of FGM/C with little or no experience with the management, support, and care of affected women in Australia. This impacted their attitude and confidence to promote, protect, and restore the target population's overall FGM/C-related health and wellbeing issues. Hence, this study highlights the importance of primary healthcare practitioners being skilled and well-equipped with information and knowledge to care for girls and women living with FGM/C in Australia.