Primary care in the world of integrated care systems: education and training for general practice

Roaa Al-Bedaery; Joe Rosenthal; Joanne Protheroe; Joanne Reeve; Judith Ibison

doi:10.7861/fhj.2023-0073

Primary care in the world of integrated care systems: education and training for general practice

Future Healthc J. 2023 Nov;10(3):253-258. doi: 10.7861/fhj.2023-0073.

Authors

Roaa Al-Bedaery¹, Joe Rosenthal², Joanne Protheroe³, Joanne Reeve⁴, Judith Ibison¹

Affiliations

¹ St George's, University of London, London, UK.
² University College London, London, UK.
³ Keele University, Newcastle, UK.
⁴ Hull York Medical School, Heslington, York.

Abstract

Here, we discuss the required education and training for the emergent and evolving roles of GPs and other healthcare professionals within Integrated Care Systems (ICSs). We underscore the importance of collaborative skills for all medical specialties, and the need for interprofessional education and leadership development in undergraduate and postgraduate medical training. We also argue for a paradigm shift in medical education, away from traditional siloed approaches and toward comprehensive training that prepares practitioners to excel in integrated and multidisciplinary healthcare environments, within which expert generalists (GPs) and specialists collaborate in individual patient care and concurrently co-develop innovative system pathways for chronic medical conditions, including complexity and frailty. We highlight the need to align workforce development with evolving healthcare systems and the existing obstacles hindering this alignment.

Keywords: education and training; integrated care system; medical education; primary care.