Family Medicine Speciality Training Program, Lesotho-Boston Health Alliance, Leribe, Lesotho; and, Department of Family Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, United States.
Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med. 2020 May 25;12(1):e1-e4. doi: 10.4102/phcfm.v12i1.2320.
Primary care needs research to generate evidence relevant to community needs; however, there is a lack of research engagement among primary care physicians, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Improved research mentorship for family physicians (FPs) can help address prevailing knowledge and practice gaps in primary care research.Workshop process: During the 6th annual Africa Regional Conference of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), we conducted three workshops on research mentorship for African FPs. Two workshops (one online and one onsite at the pre-conference) were geared towards the young doctors' movement of WONCA Africa. The third was onsite during the main conference. Following a brief presentation on the concept of research mentorship and known gaps, participants broke into small groups and discussed additional gaps, solutions and anticipated readiness for implementing these solutions. We used a content analysis to summarise key concepts and had participants to review the findings.Workshop findings: Identified gaps related to mentees' difficulty initiating and maintaining mentorship relationships and an overall shortage of capable and willing mentors. Organisational solutions focused on capacity building and creating a culture of mentorship. Interpersonal solutions focused on reducing the power distance and increasing reflectivity and feedback. Increasing the use of research networks and both peer and online mentorship were advocated. Barriers to readiness included resource constraints and competing priorities.
A multi-level approach is needed to address the gaps in research mentorship for African FPs. Identified solutions hold potential for supporting the research engagement needed to improve the population health across Africa.
初级保健需要研究来产生与社区需求相关的证据；然而，初级保健医生的研究参与度很低，尤其是在撒哈拉以南非洲地区。为家庭医生（家庭医生）提供更好的研究指导可以帮助解决初级保健研究中普遍存在的知识和实践差距。
在第六届世界家庭医生组织（WONCA）非洲区域会议期间，我们为非洲家庭医生举办了三次关于研究指导的研讨会。两个研讨会（一个在线，一个在会前现场）针对 WONCA 非洲的年轻医生运动。第三个是在大会期间的现场进行的。在简要介绍了研究指导的概念和已知差距之后，参与者分成小组讨论了其他差距、解决方案和实施这些解决方案的预期准备情况。我们使用内容分析来总结关键概念，并让参与者审查研究结果。
确定了与受指导者难以启动和维持指导关系以及整体缺乏有能力和愿意指导的导师有关的差距。组织解决方案侧重于能力建设和培养指导文化。人际关系解决方案侧重于缩小权力距离，增加反思和反馈。提倡增加使用研究网络以及同行和在线指导。准备就绪的障碍包括资源限制和优先事项竞争。
需要采取多层次的方法来解决非洲家庭医生研究指导方面的差距。确定的解决方案有可能支持改善整个非洲人口健康所需的研究参与。
