ArticleAfrican journal of primary health care & family medicine2024
The role of clinical associates in South Africa as a health workforce: A scoping review.
Article in African journal of primary health care & family medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Knowledge and compliance related to the prevention of mother-to-child transmission guidelines amongst South African healthcare professionals.African journal of primary health care & family medicine · 2026Article
- Physician assistant legalization and conflicts in South Korea: need for an approach based on lessons from three countries.International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care · 2025Article
- Assessing clinical associate students' views on learning opportunities and involvement during primary health care placements: a mixed methods study in Tshwane.BMC medical education · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSouth Africa's health care system grapples with persistent challenges, including health care provider shortages and disparities in distribution. In response, the government introduced clinical associates (Clin-As) as a novel category of health care providers.
aimThis study mapped Clin-As' history and practice in South Africa, assessing their roles in the health workforce and offering recommendations.
methodsFollowing the framework outlined by Arksey and O'Malley, we conducted a comprehensive literature search from January 2001 to November 2021, utilising PubMed, Scopus and EBSCOhost databases. One thousand six hundred and seventy-two articles were identified and then refined to 36 through title, abstract and full-text screening.
resultsStrengths of the Clin-A cadre included addressing rural workforce shortages and offering cost-effective health care in rural areas. Challenges to the success of the cadre included stakeholder resistance, rapid implementation, scope of practice ambiguity, inadequate supervision, unclear roles, limited Department of Health (NDoH) support, funding deficits, Clin-As' perceived underpayment and overwork, degree recognition issues, inadequate medical student training on Clin-A roles, vague career paths and uneven provincial participation.
conclusionAs a health care provider cadre, Clin-As have been welcomed by multiple stakeholders and could potentially be a valuable resource for South Africa's health care system, but they face substantial challenges. Realising their full potential necessitates enhanced engagement, improved implementation strategies and precise scope definition.Contribution: This study acknowledges Clin-As in SA as a promising solution to health care workforce shortages but highlights challenges such as stakeholder resistance, insufficient NDoH support and unclear policies, emphasising the need for comprehensive efforts to maximise their potential.
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