Student-Led Clinics in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Scoping Review with Stakeholder Consultation.

BACKGROUND

Student-led clinics have gained increasing attention as a mechanism for students across various health professions to gain authentic interprofessional clinical placement experience during their educational programme.

PURPOSE

This scoping review is designed to identify and describe experiences relating to student-led clinics in Aotearoa New Zealand.

METHODS

The review involved five key steps: 1) identifying the research question; 2) identifying relevant studies; 3) study selection; 4) charting the data; and 5) collating, summarising and reporting the results.

DISCUSSION

Student-led health clinics present invaluable educational opportunities for authentic collaborative practice and capacity to improve population health and well-being, especially in marginalised and disadvantaged communities. Clinic establishment and operation require consideration of a complex set of factors.

CONCLUSION

Community consultation (including with Indigenous populations) should precede establishment of clinics. There is scope for more reporting and objective evaluation to ensure best practice is being determined, developed, and achieved.