A ‘Farmer /Fisherperson and Allied Community Medical’ – a quality-improvement template of care in primary care

Introduction and Background: Ireland is an island known for its welcome, its warm people, green fields and beautiful coastline. A sizable proportion of the Irish population work in the farming, forestry and fishing industries, particularly in rural and coastal regions¹. The broad farming and fisher people cohort have specific health and primary care needs^2,3 and, as a result, I devised a template of care provision in primary care, to help guide the primary care team privileged to look after this unique group of people⁴.

Aims:

1. To devise a template of proposed quality care or care considerations for members of the farming and fisher people community, which can be used in general practice, as part of the practice software system.
2. To improve and ease delivery of high-quality primary care to the farming and fisher people in the community.

Methods:

1. Personal reflection on my professional experience as a General Practitioner in rural and coastal communities from South West GP (General Practitioner) Training Scheme training to the current time, a lifetime of living in a rural location not too far from the sea, and the lessons I have learnt from the people of home, my local community, and the people I serve.
2. Conversation with and feedback from a wise, retired farmer with thanks.
3. Literature Review of the health concerns and needs of farmers and fisher people.

Results: Creation of a farmer/fisherperson medical quality-improvement template of care to support primary care delivery to these communities.

Discussion:

1. A template of care provision for primary care to utilise if wished in caring for members of the fishing and farming communities to improve quality of care delivered, and which is accessible, user-friendly, and comprehensive.
2. Plan to hopefully trial this template in primary care going forward, and audit the primary healthcare quality received by farmers and members of the fishing community, based on the parameters included in this quality improvement template.

References

1 Factsheet on Agriculture in Ireland 2016. https://igees.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/June-2016-Factsheet-Final.pdf [Retrieved 28 September 2022]

2 Smyth B, Evans DS, Kelly A, Cullen L, O'Donovan D. The farming population in Ireland: mortality trends during the ‘Celtic Tiger’ years. European Journal of Public Health 2013; 23(1):50–55. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cks017

3 Peninsula Team. Health and Safety in the Fishing Industry Aug 2018. https://www.peninsulagrouplimited.com/ie/blog/health-safety-in-the-fishing-industry [Accessed 14 September 2022]

4 Kiely A. The Farmer and Fisherperson Primary Care Medical. Update Article. Forum Journal (ICGP). Accepted for Publication for Oct 2022 issue.