Community-based clinical attachments
From 2020, every intern on prevocational medical training will be required to complete one clinical attachment in a community-based setting.
During postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) and postgraduate year 2 (PGY2), interns complete a series of 13-week clinical attachments as part of their prevocational medical training. From 2020, one of these attachments needs to be community-based. Completing a clinical attachment in a community will help to familiarise interns with the delivery of healthcare outside the hospital setting.
Training providers are currently following guidelines from the Council to ensure accredited community-based attachments are available for interns. These need to meet both the definition and accreditation standards of a community-based clinical attachment, some of which include:
- being community-focused and providing direct contact with patients or public health services,
- providing the opportunity for the community management of illness and/or mental health, which may include early detection of disease, population health, and acute and chronic care management, and
- familiarising interns with the delivery of healthcare outside of a hospital setting. This includes understanding the interface between primary and secondary care, and the wider healthcare network.
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Community-based clinical attachments can take place in a wide variety of settings, including but not limited to general practice and urgent care. This may include rural and regional locations, and settings that provide experience in the provision of health care to Māori.
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This document outlines the standards clinical attachments that are completed by PGY1 and PGY2 must meet. These standards should be considered in conjunction with the accreditation standards for training providers.
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Guide with information for DHBs who are providing community based clinical attachments.