• About Us

     

     

    Head of Division:  Associate Professor Klaus von Pressentin MBChB Stell MMed (Family Medicine) Stell FCFP SA PhD Stell

           

     

           Follow @klausvon

     

    Welcome to the Division of Family Medicine


    Family Medicine has been an independent Division in the School of Public Health and Family Medicine since 2001 and is involved in multidisciplinary community-based teaching and learning with a strong focus on primary care.

    According to McWhinney & Freeman (2009), family physicians:

    1. Are committed to the person rather than to a particular body of knowledge, group of diseases, or special technique
    2. Seek to understand the context of the illness
    3. See every contact with their patient as an opportunity for prevention or health education
    4. View the patients in their practice as a population at risk
    5. See themselves as part of a community-wide network of supportive and healthcare agencies
    6. Should ideally share the same habitat as their patients
    7. See patients in their homes
    8. Attach importance to the subjective aspects of medicine
    9. Manage resources

    Reference: Textbook of Family Medicine: Ian R. McWhinney; Thomas Freeman (Third Edition) 2009 Oxford University Press pages 13-16.
     

    Teaching within the Division

    Becoming a Doctor course which spans the second and third years of the curriculum. The course is comprised of three strands which include Family Medicine, Clinical Skills and Languages (isiXhosa and Afrikaans). 

    Eight week 4th year MBChB Primary Health Care block run jointly with other divisions in the School of Public Health and Family Medicine. 

    Four week 6th year block which students spend at a Community Health Facility either in an urban or rural area and at a Hospice for the Palliative Care portion of their training.

    The discipline of Family Medicine was registered as a speciality in 2007 and we accepted our first intake of registrars into the MMed (Family Medicine) training programme in 2008. The registrars do their training at regional, secondary and district level facilities.  We also offer a postgraduate diploma course in Family Medicine.

    The Division is involved in many individual and collaborative research projects.

    Palliative Medicine forms part of the Division of Family Medicine and is integrated into the undergraduate teaching programmes. It offers its own postgraduate diploma and degree courses. 

    There is strong collaboration with all Departments of Family Medicine in South Africa through the Education and Training Sub-Committee of the South African Academy of Family Practice/ Primary Care and the College of Family Physicians in the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa. It has established links with other African universities as well as with other international higher education institutions.  Family practitioners in private practice also assist with the teaching programme.

    You can find more information about our undergraduate teaching, postgraduate teaching, clinical services, research, staff and links.
     

    Contact Information:

    Division of Family Medicine
    School of Public Health and Family Medicine
    Faculty of Health Sciences
    University of Cape Town
    OBSERVATORY
    7925
    South Africa
     

    Administrative Assistant: Ms Fundiswa Genu
    Tel: +27 21 406 6510
    Fax:+27 21 406 6667
    Email:  Fundi Genu

  • Undergraduate Teaching


    Becoming a Doctor (BaDr)
     

    6th Year MBChB Programme

  • Postgraduate Teaching

  • Clinical Services

    Clinical services are provided by a team of Family Physicians, Medical Officers and Registrars at various sites within the Western Cape.  Family Medicine principles are incorporated within the range of services provided.
     

    Range of services provided: 

    • Family Medicine
    • Ambulatory & In-patient Care of Adults and Children
    • Anaesthestics
    • Minor Surgical Services  
    • Paediatrics
    • Internal Medicine
    • Emergency Medicine
    • Orthopaedics
    • HIV/AIDS management
    • Obstetrics & Gynaecology

     

    Sites of service delivery
     

    Regional Hospitals:

    Somerset Hospital

    Victoria Hospital

     

    District Hospitals:

    Mitchells Plain District Hospital

    Vredenburg District Hospital

     

    Community Health Centres:

    Cross Roads Community Health Centre

    Gugulethu Community Health Centre

    Hanover Park Community Health Centre

    Heideveld Community Health Centre

    Lotus River Community Health Centre

    Mitchells Plain Community Health Centre

    Retreat Community Health Centre

    Vanguard Community Health Centre

  • Research

    The Division of Family Medicine research focus is mainly directed towards action research related to the state health services at the primary and district levels of care. The areas we are concentrating on are:

    • Chronic diseases of lifestyle - effective auditing and cost-effective management of patients
    • Quality of care indicators for primary care outcomes including the use of the PCAT tool and PROMS (patient related outcome measures in Palliative Care)
    • Improving access to health care at the clinic, CHC and District Hospital levels for example waiting times, language barriers etc.
    • Partnering with the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Unit and the Mitchell's Plain District Hospital (MDHS), Western Cape Government Department of Health, in identifying suitable student projects which could be developed further to improve services
    • Educational research related to the courses we teach

  • Links

    Collaboration with Other Organisations and Networks

     

    Community Health Services Organization

  • Staff

    Klaus von Pressentin, Associate Professor and Head of Division

     

     

     

    Email:  Klaus.Vonpressentin@uct.ac.za

    Phone:  021 406 6510

    Twitter:  @klausvon

    Publications

     


    A/Prof Klaus B von Pressentin joined the University of Cape Town in May 2020 as an Associate Professor and Head of the Family Medicine Division in the School of Public Health and Family Medicine. He worked previously as a family physician within the Mossel Bay and Langeberg sub-districts of the Western Cape Department of Health in South Africa. He also worked previously as a senior lecturer in the Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care at Stellenbosch University, where he obtained his PhD which focused on evaluating the contribution of family physicians towards strengthening the district health system of South Africa. His research interests lie in primary care, human resources for health, health system strengthening and health professions education. His voluntary activities include serving as the editor-in-chief of the South African Family Practice journal (the official journal of the South African Academy of Family Physicians), serving as an examiner for the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa, as well as serving on the editorial board of BJGP Open. His passion lies in working with colleagues from across the globe towards strengthening the scholarly foundation of the discipline of family medicine and primary care.

    Mosedi Namane, Associate Professor

    Email:  Mosedi.Namane@uct.ac.za

    Phone:  021 695 8200

    Senior Lecturers Full-time

    Name Email Telephone No
    Nazlie Beckett
    		021 406 7710
    Neal David
    		021 406 6510
    Angela de Sa
    		021 712 5105
    Elma de Vries
    		021 406 6510
    Abdul Isaacs
    		021 391 7991
    Rene Krause
    		021 406-6707
    Liesl Morales Perez
    		021 406 6510
    Tasleem Ras
    		021 650 5221
    Beverley Schweitzer
    		021 406 6441
    Dianne Matthews
    		021 406 6189

    Lecturers Part-time

    Name Email Telephone No
    Alan Barnard
    		021 406 6707
    Cameron Bruce
    		021 406 6707
    Maggie de Swart
    		021 406 6590
    Lindsay Farrant
    		021 406 6707
    Michelle Meiring
    		021 406 6707
    Sadick Saban
    		021 406 6421
    Haniem Salie
    		 

    Emeritus Associate Professors

    Derek Hellenberg
    Liz Gwyther

    Adjunct Associate Professor

    Graham Bresick

    Honorary Professor

    Richard Harding

    Honorary Associate Professors

    Patrick Mazaza
    Shailendra Prasad

    Honorary Senior Lecturers

    Kaashiefah Adamson
    Felicia Christians
    Jennie Morgan
    Julian Te Riele
    Jeremie Venter

    Honorary Lecturers

    Stephen Craven
    Jalaluddin Dhansay
    Allie Jardine
    George Petros
    Karen Stammer

    Registrars

    Name Year
    S Dadla 1st
    O Ferndale 1st
    T Rubler 1st
    A Saunders 1st
    J Weenink 1st
    S Engelbrecht 2nd
    J Ribeiro 2nd
    L Profitt 3rd
    R Jansen 3rd
    T Davids 3rd
    C Ezulu 3rd
    B Baheir 3rd
    M le Roux 3rd
    R Ortell 4th
    F Dookith 4th
    J Etonu 4th
    N Amien 4th
    A Ashwedi 4th
    G Hofmeyr 5th
    J Steyn 5th
    A Karki 5th
    H Stofberg 5th
    L Snyders 5th
    B Machina 5th
    S Ohiagu 5th
    A Anele 5th

    Administrative Staff

    Name Description Email Telephone No
    Bernadette Bredekamp Administrative Assistant (BaDr)
    		021 406 6805
    Manisha Chavda Administrative Assistant (6th Yr Family Medicine)
    		021 406 6421
    Naomi Fray Administrative Assistant (Palliative Care)
    		021 406 6707
    Fundiswa Genu Administrative Assistant (Division & Family Medicine PG)
    		021 406 6510

  • Publications

    Journal articles

  • Journal articles

    2022

    • Measuring the impact of community-based interventions on type 2 diabetes control during the COVID-19 pandemic in Cape Town – A mixed methods study, Neal J. David, Graham Bresick, Natasha Moodaley, Klaus B. von Pressentin. South African Family Practice ISSN: (Online) 2078-6204, (Print) 2078-6190.
    • Building the foundation for universal healthcare: Academic family medicine’s ability to train family medicine practitioners to meet the needs of their community across the globe, Esther M. Johnston, Nath Samaratunga, Ramakrishna Prasad, Bassim Birkland, Klaus B. von Pressentin, Shailendra Prasad. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine ISSN: (Online) 2071-2936, (Print) 2071-2928.
    • Non-communicable disease care and management in two sites of the Cape Town Metro during the first wave of COVID-19: A rapid appraisal, Peter A. Delobelle1, Mumtaz Abbas, Ishaaq Datay, Angela De Sa, Naomi Levitt, Darcelle Schouw, Steve Reid. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine ISSN: (Online) 2071-2936, (Print) 2071-2928. 2022.
    • Implementation of Best-Evidence Osteoarthritis Care: Perspectives on Challenges for, and Opportunities From, Low and Middle-Income Countries, Jillian P. Eyles, Saurab Sharma, Rosa Weiss Telles, Mosedi Namane, David J. Hunter and Jocelyn L. Bowden. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences https://doi.org/10.3389/fresc.2021.826765
    • Symptom prevalence and burden, and the risk of depression among patients with advanced cancer attending two South African oncology units, Lindsay Farrant, Richard Harding, David Anderson, Linda Greeff, Reshma Kassanjee5, R Krause, Zainab Mohamed, Jeannette Parkes and Liz Gwyther. ecancer 2022, 16:1349 https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2022.1349 
    • A ‘game of dressings’: Strategies for wound management in primary health care, Maria G.C., Giaquinto-Cilliers, Arun Nair, Klaus B. von Pressentin, Francois Coetzee, Hamid Saeed. South African Family Practice ISSN: (Online) 2078-6204, (Print) 2078-6190. 2022.
    • Two months follow-up of patients with non-critical COVID-19 in Cape Town, South Africa, Andrea S. Mendelsohn, Nikhil Nath, Angela De Sá, Klaus B. von Pressentin. South African Family Practice ISSN: (Online) 2078-6204, (Print) 2078-6190. 2022.
    • Mastering your fellowship: Part 1, 2022, Klaus B. von Pressentin, Mergan Naidoo, Gert Marincowitz, Tasleem Ras. South African Family Practice ISSN: (Online) 2078-6204, (Print) 2078-6190. 2022
    • Reference intervals for biochemical analytes in transgender individuals on hormone therapy, Morn´e C Bezuidenhout, Marli Conradie-Smit, Joel A Dave, Elma de Vries, Ian L Ross, and Annalise E Zemlin. Annals of Clinical Biochemistry 2022, Vol. 0(0) 1–10 © The Author(s) 2022 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/00045632211066777 journals.sagepub.com/home/acb
    • Predictors of low antiretroviral adherence at an urban South African clinic: A mixed-methods study, Connor P. Bondarchuk, Nwabisa Mlandu, Tasneem Adams, Elma de Vries. Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine ISSN: (Online) 2078-6751, (Print) 1608-9693. 2022.
    • Preparedness for paediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation amongst medical doctors working in primary health care facilities in Cape Town, South Africa, Nabeela Amien, Graham Bresick, Katya Evans. South African Family Practice ISSN: (Online) 2078-6204, (Print) 2078-6190. 2022.
       

    2021

    • How well do we teach the primary healthcare approach? A case study of health sciences course documents, educators, and students at the University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, J Irlam, M I Datay, S Reid, M Alperstein, N Hartman, M Namane, S Singh, F Walters. Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med. 2020.
    • Re-imagining health professions education in the coronavirus disease 2019 era: Perspectives from South Africa, Schmutz, A.M., Jenkins, L.S., Coetzee, F., Conradie, H., Irlam, J., Joubert, E.M., Matthews, D., and van Schalkwyk, S.C., 2021. Re-imagining health professions education in the coronavirus disease 2019 era: Perspectives from South Africa. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 13(1), p.5.
    • The new human resources for health policy support the need for South African family medicine training programmes to triple their output, Von Pressentin, K.B., 2021. The new human resources for health policy support the need for South African family medicine training programmes to triple their output. South African Family Practice, 63(1), pp.NA-NA.
    • Telemedicine in the Western Cape Department of Health during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic: Leveraging data to save lives by activating a telemedicine response, David, N.J., Brey, Z. and Ismail, M., 2021. Telemedicine in the Western Cape Department of Health during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic: Leveraging data to save lives by activating a telemedicine response. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 13(1).
    • Mastering your fellowship. South African Family Practice,Von Pressentin KB, Naidoo M, Mayanja F, Ras T.. 2021;63(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v63i1.5282
    • Mastering your fellowship. South African Family Practice, Naidoo M, von Pressentin KB, Ras T, Steinberg H.. 2021;63(2). https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v63i1.5319
    • Mastering your fellowship. South African Family Practice ,Von Pressentin KB, Naidoo M, Ukpe IS, Ras T.. 2021;63(3). https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v63i1.5364
    • Mastering your fellowship. South African Family Practice, Naidoo M, von Pressentin KB, Ras T, Motsohi T.. 2021;63(4). https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v63i1.5398
    • Assessment, and management of shoulder pain at primary care level, Kauta N, De Vries E, Du Plessis JP, Grey B, Anley C, Vrettos B, Dachs R, Roche S.. South African Family Practice: Official Journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care. 2021 Mar 8;63(1):e1-4.
    • Southern African HIV Clinicians’ Society gender-affirming healthcare guideline for South Africa, Tomson A … De Vries E.. Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine. 2021;22(1).
    • Strengthening African health systems through outreach and support and values-driven leadership, Jenkins LS, Von Pressentin KB, North Z, Van Tonder G.. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine. 2021;13(1).
    • The family physician as a primary care consultant–the Mossel Bay experience, Von Pressentin KB, Naidoo KS, Jenkins LS, Schoevers J. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine. 2021;13(1).
    • Next5–A new South African Academy of Family Physicians initiative (‘You didn’t come this far, to only come this far’), Van der Bijl C, Nair A, Von Pressentin KB.   South African Family Practice. 2021;63(1).
    • The contribution of family physicians in coordinating care and improving access at district hospitals: The False Bay experience, South Africa, Rossouw L, Lalkhen H, Adamson K, Von Pressentin KB. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine. 2021 Nov 18;13(1):4.
    • Low mortality of people living with diabetes mellitus diagnosed with COVID-19 and managed at a field hospital in Western Cape Province, South Africa, Van der Westhuizen JN, Hussey N, Zietsman M, Saldulker N, Manning K, Dave JA, Bulajic B, Ras T. South African Medical Journal. 2021 Oct 1;111(10):961-7.
    • A reflective process led by a family physician to develop a renal-protection surveillance tool for HIV patients newly started on dolutegravir ,Omar J, Loftus I, Vallie N, Whitmore RB, Solomon G, Powell M, Mniki S, Namane M. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine. 2021;13(1).
    • Strengthening primary health care in the COVID-19 era: a review of best practices to inform health system responses in low-and middle-income countries. WHO South-East Asia Journal of Public Health., Peiris D, Sharma M, Praveen D, Bitton A, Bresick G, Coffman M, Dodd R, El-Jardali F, Fadlallah R, Flinkenflögel M, Goodyear-Smith F. 2021 Feb 1;10(3):6.
    • Obituary: Peter Ernest Spargo , Craven SA. (07 June 1937–02 Aug. 2021).
    • Iqbal Haroon Master, Ndjeka N, Reuter A, Conradie F, Enwerem M, Ferreira H, Hughes J, Ismail F, Ismail N, Kock Y, Padanilam X, Romero R Te Riele J. 5 December 1962-15 January 2021.
       

    2020

    • Older persons’ experience with health care at two primary level clinics in Cape Town, South Africa: qualitative assessment, Tsepo Motsohi1, Mosedi Namane1,2, Augustine Chidi Anele1, Mumtaz Abbas1, Sebastiana Zimba Kalula. BJGP Open. 2020 Aug 25;4(3)
    • The primary care provider’s role in providing supportive and palliative care for patients in chronic renal failure, René Krause 1, Nicola Wearne, Tsepo Motsohi, Bianca Davidson. S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2020 Dec 11;62(1).
    • A framework for implementation of community orientated primary care in the Metro Health Services, Cape Town, South Africa, Robert Mash, Charlyn Goliath, Hassan Mahomed, Steve Reid, Derek Hellenberg, Gio Perez. Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med. 2020; 12(1): 2632.
    • Mastering your fellowship, Klaus B. von Pressentin, Mergan Naidoo, Bob Mash, Andrew Ross, Tasleem Ras. South African Family Practice | Vol 59, No 6: November/December 2020.
    • Family medicine internship support during the COVID-19 pandemic in Cape Town, South Africa - A narrative report, Vairones’ Solomon 1, Ayesha Allie, Raeesah Fakier, Daniel Tadmor, Kamaludin Ashtiker, Colyn Le Roux, Junaid Omar, Mosedi Namane. Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med. 2020 Nov 6;12(1)
    •  The Cape Town International Convention Centre from the inside: The family physicians’ view of the ‛Hospital of Hope’, Steve Reid, Tasleem Ras, Klaus von Pressentin. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine 2020.
    • Osteoarthritis in 2020 and beyond: a Lancet Commission, Nigel Arden, Jocelyn Bowden, Andrew Briggs, Leigh Callahan, Cyrus Cooper, Marita Cross, Krysia Dziedzic, Rolando Espinosa, Kai Fu, Francis Guillemin, David J Hunter (Co-Chair), Teppo Järvinen, Stefan Lohmander, Elena Losina, Lyn March (Co-Chair), Heather McKay, YiFang Mei, Stephen Messier, Ali Mobasheri, Mosedi Namane, Tuhina Neogi, Michael Nicholas, George Peat, Ester Penserga, May Arna Risberg, Saeid Safiri, Saurab Sharma, Regina Sit, Rosa Weiss Telles, and Marianna Vitalon. CrossMark 2020.
    • Evaluation of patient characteristics, management, and outcomes for COVID-19 at district hospitals in the Western Cape, South Africa: descriptive observational study, Robert James Mash 1, Mellisa Presence-Vollenhoven, Adeloye Adeniji, Renaldo Christoffels, Karlien Doubell, Lawson Eksteen, Amee Hendrikse, Lauren Hutton, Louis Jenkins, Paul Kapp, Annie Lombard, Heleen Marais, Liezel Rossouw, Katrin Stuve, Abi Ugoagwu, Beverley Williams.  BMJ Open. 2021.
    • Amitriptyline prescribing in public sector healthcare facilities in the Western Cape, South Africa, Renier Coetzee, Yasmina Johnson, Johan van Niekerk, Mosedi Namane. PLOS ONE 2020.
    • The state of family medicine training programmes within the Primary Care and Family Medicine Education network, Klaus B. von Pressentin, Innocent Besigye, Robert Mash, Zelra Malan. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine 2020.
    • Community-based screening and testing for Coronavirus in Cape Town, South Africa: Short report, Neal David 1, Robert Mash. Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med 2020.
    • The evolving role of family physicians during the coronavirus disease 2019 crisis: An appreciative reflection, Louis S. Jenkins, Klaus B. von Pressentin, Kartik Naidoo, Rachel Schaefer. Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med 2020.
    • Spiritual Care, Pain Reduction, and Preferred Place of Death Among Advanced Cancer Patients in Soweto, South Africa, Mpho Ratshikana-Moloko, Oluwatosin Ayeni, Jacob M Tsitsi, Michelle L Wong, Judith S Jacobson, Alfred I Neugut, Mfanelo Sobekwa, Maureen Joffe, Keletso Mmoledi, Charmaine L Blanchard 9, Witness Mapanga, Paul Ruff 11, Herbert Cubasch, Daniel S O'Neil, Tracy A Balboni, Holly G Prigerson. J Pain Symptom Manage 2020.
    • Debate: Why should gender-affirming health care be included in health science curricula? Elma de Vries, Harsha Kathard & Alex Müller. BMC Medical Education 2020.
    • Training family physicians: A qualitative exploration of experiences of registrars in a family medicine training programme in Cape Town, South Africa, Tasleem Ras 1, Beverley Schweitzer, Graham Bresick, Derek Hellenberg. S Afr Fam Pract (2004) 2020.

     

    2019

     

    2018

     

    2017

     

    2016

     

    2015