Providing sexual health care for international students in Australia: a qualitative study of a general practice team approach.

Background Provision of culturally responsive sexual health care for international students is important, given the large numbers of international students in Australia and known lower levels of health literacy among this cohort. Team-based care in general practice has the potential to provide this care. Methods A qualitative study that developed and evaluated a team-based model of care for female, Mandarin-speaking, international students in a university-based general practice. The model involved patients attending a consultation with a Mandarin-speaking nurse with advanced skills in sexual health who provided education and preventive health advice, followed by a consultation with a GP. Evaluation of the model explored patient and healthcare worker experiences using a survey and a focus group of patients, and interviews with healthcare workers. Data were analysed using a general inductive approach. Results The consultation model was evaluated with 12 patients and seven GPs. Five patients participated in a focus group following the consultation. Survey results showed high levels of patient satisfaction with the model. This was confirmed via the focus group findings. Healthcare workers found the model useful for providing sexual health care for this cohort of patients and were satisfied with the team approach to patient care. Conclusions A team-based approach to providing sexual health care for international students was satisfactory to patients, GPs and the practice nurse. The challenge is providing this type of model in Australian general practice under the current funding model.