Research Nele Michels

Abstract

Given the crucial role of health promotion and disease prevention in primary care and the limited attention paid to it in current training programmes in Belgium, there is a need for capacity building for disease prevention and health promotion for primary care professionals. With this project, we formulate strategies for a better embedding of health promotion and disease prevention in primary care training, based on international standards and using a European network. The project is carried out by a multidisciplinary consortium of two academic partners from both language areas -University of Antwerp (UA) and Université Catolique de Louvain (UCL) - and the expertise centre on health promotion - Vlaams Instituut Gezond Leven (GL). The multidisciplinary research team consists of general practitioners, psychologists, educational experts and communication scientists. The research group can call upon an extensive steering committee of stakeholders with representatives of care users, educational institutes, professional organisations and policy makers from both parts of the country, both during the inventory phase and for the development of the strategy and dissemination. The inclusion of representatives of vulnerable target groups in the steering committee guarantees specific attention to the needs and input of these groups. The development of strategies is done in 3 phases, organised in 3 work packages. In WP1 we will elaborate a Belgian frame of reference for the provision and quality of education in health promotion and disease prevention through desk research. Existing international frameworks such as the core skills set for health promotion workers by the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) are the starting point for a cross-professional frame of reference adapted to the Belgian context. In WP2, we will make an inventory of the existing provision and of the quality of health promotion and disease prevention in primary health care training in Belgium through a survey starting from the stakeholder network. This also includes a comparative analysis with training courses in other European countries, through the research group's connections to European networks. The trainings will be analysed based on the frame of reference developed in WP1 and Clement's didactic model. WP3 will focus on the development of strategies for the envisaged embedding of health promotion and disease prevention in primary care training based on the results of WP1 and WP2. By means of co-creation work sessions, the research group together with stakeholders will develop a draft strategy in the form of an educational package, which will be tested in a Delphi procedure. The dissemination to training institutes, professional and scientific organisations, target groups and policy makers and the creation of a support base for concrete strategies will take place together with the steering committee. A final symposium and publications in professional journals will contribute to this.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: van Olmen Josefien
• Co-promoter: Bastiaens Hilde
• Co-promoter: Michels Nele
• Co-promoter: Van Royen Kathleen
• Co-promoter: Van Royen Paul

Research team(s)

• Primary and interdisciplinary care Antwerp (ELIZA)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The importance of nature for the development of adolescents (12- 18 jaar) is often mentioned in scientific literature. Both for health, well being and school performance, as for founding pro-environental behaviour as citizen. Still adolescents at secundary school seem to lack interest in nature. Despite a diversity of organizations offering nature-education programs, the demand from adolescnts and secundary schools appears to be low. We will investigate this mismatch in lterature review and three case studies.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Keune Hans
• Co-promoter: Boeve-de Pauw Jelle
• Co-promoter: Michels Nele
• Co-promoter: Van Petegem Peter

Research team(s)

• Primary and interdisciplinary care Antwerp (ELIZA)

Project website

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

"Buen vivir" through integrated health care: optimizing intercultural collaboration in rural areas in Ecuador. Ethnic communities living in Ecuador's SENPLADES zones 6-7 (Amazone and Andes region) have limited access to medical health care. Traditional health care is part of the daily life. There is little cooperation between medical and traditional caregivers. In this project we study the needs and the conditions which compromise intercultural health care in the communities, and provide concrete measures of effective implementation of intercultural integration, in the medical curriculum at UTPL and other universities, as well as for practitioners in the field. The project has 3 parts: A research part where gaps and needs of healthcare in the field are investigated and described. The second phase is an implementation study. The research is performed by a PhD student from UTPL Loja. A medical education part where the curriculum at UTPL Loja implements cultural competences and intercultural communication, use of portfolio and distance education. A capacity building part at UTPL with a Phd trajectory, staff training and scholarships exchange. A capacity building part in the communities with optimizing intercultural collaboration

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Hendrickx Kristin
• Co-promoter: Michels Nele
• Co-promoter: Verhoeven Veronique

Research team(s)

• Primary and interdisciplinary care Antwerp (ELIZA)

Project type(s)

• Research Project