Investigation of serum lactate dehydrogenase levels in generalised anxiety disorder.

Clinical training is a central component in health professions, education and an integral bridge between educational and professional environments. In addition to universities offering the health professions qualifications, various bodies are tasked with ensuring that health programmes are of a high quality. In South Africa (SA), they are the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), Council on Higher Education (CHE) and the Department of Health (DOH). The HPCSA regulates education, training, registration and practicing of health professions registered under the Health Professions Act No. 56 of 1974, and provide for matters incidental thereto. CHE promotes quality assurance in higher education, audits the quality assurance mechanisms of higher education institutions and accredits higher educational programmes through the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). The DOH provides a framework for a structured and uniform Health system. In recent years, there has been an increase in emphasis on the setting and measurement of quality standards across all sectors, including those involved in health education and service. As there are different stakeholders involved in the setting, implementation, monitoring and assurance of standards and quality in clinical training, one will expect that there be collaboration and alignment of policies, procedures and guidelines. It is important that evidence-based guidelines developed adhere to particular standards, to the extent possible, to ensure robust and comprehensive support for the recommended actions. In Canada, the Council on Education for Public Health requires that health education schools function as a collaboration of disciplines, and provide a learning environment that supports interdisciplinary communication. Furthermore, to foster this collaboration, training in inter-professional education is recommended to be included in the Council's accreditation standards for optometry programs. Clinical training for optometry students in South Africa occurs both within the institution clinics and at DOH facilities. It is unknown whether there is alignment of student training protocols, clinical competency outcomes and practice standards at DOH facilities, against defined clinical training competency standards of universities and the HPCSA's professional board for optometry and dispensing opticians (PBODO).