I’m a specialist in Family Medicine on the joint staff establishment of the Free State Department of Health (DoH) and the University of the Free State (UFS). I love clinical work, mainly in the fields of paediatrics, obstetrics and paediatric palliative care and see patients daily. I supervised numerous undergraduate student projects that looked at baseline data regarding child health in our setting like oral rehydration, malnutrition, HIV, jaundice and prematurity. The postgraduate students that I supervised focused on guidelines to improve mortality and morbidity, like the Triage system at National District Hospital and practical guidelines on the management of rape and assault in a primary health care setting. My personal research focussed on guideline development and implementation to address the reduction of child morbidity and mortality. Paediatric palliative care (PPC) is necessary to address both morbidity and mortality and therefore the PPC approach in the research. South Africa is a world leader in PPC for children with HIV and other diseases of poverty, like malnutrition. As an executive member of the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN), I collaborate and support people from all over the world to compile guidelines and render quality palliative care for children. Education and training is my other interest. With a guideline development background, as well as active involvement in student training I believe that assessment is crucial, especially the way that we assess. In 2014, I published an assessment rubric for mini-dissertations for postgraduate students in Family Medicine, to assess research projects. During 2015 and 2016, I was a co-supervisor of Dr A Ogah who obtained her PhD in Health Professions Education at the UFS. Her study was on the Psychometric assessment of Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE’s) and guidelines for resource poor countries. I am enrolled for a PhD in Health Professions Education to specifically to compile guidelines to ensure valid and reliable assessments in clinical medicine. I am actively involved in community service as the volunteer medical director of Sunflower children’s hospice that supports paediatric palliative care in the Free State.

Qualifications

M.B.Ch.B, M.Fam.Med, MHPE, FCFP, Advanced health Management, International Leadership Development, Paediatric Palliative care

List of published articles

1. Dippenaar, H. & Joubert, G. 2002. The treatment of COAD: Is the EDL sufficient? SA Fam Pract. 26(1): 7-10.
2. Dippenaar, H., Joubert, G., Nel, R., Bantobetse, M.L,, Opawole, A.A. & Roshen, K.S. 2005. Homemade sugar-salt solution for oral rehydration: Knowledge of mothers and caregivers. SA Fam Pract 47(2): 47-49.
3. Dippenaar, H., Joubert, G. & V Rooyen, C. 2005. How cheap is primary health care? Cost per script at the Heidedal Community Health Center and National District Hospital in Bloemfontein. SA Fam Pract. 47(7): 37-40.
4. Dippenaar, H. 2005. Is Quality Control useful? An audit on the saving measures regarding prescriptions at National District Hospital in Bloemfontein. SA Fam Pract. 47(9): 60-62.
5. Dippenaar, H., Joubert, G. & Brussow, M. 2006. Guidelines for Kangaroo Care in district hospitals and primary healthcare maternity sections in the Free State. SA Fam Pract. 48(9): 16-16c.
6. Dippenaar, H.& Steinberg. W.J. 2008. Evaluation of clinical medicine in the final post graduate exams in Family Medicine. SA Fam Pract. 50 (1): 16-16c.
7. Rodriques, A.N., Nel, M., Dippenaar, H. & Prinsloo, E.A.M. 2007. Good short-term outcomes of kangaroo mother care in infants with a low birth weight in a rural South African hospital. SA Fam Pract. 49 (5): 15-15c.
8. Van der Sande, M., Dippenaar, H. & Rutten, G.E. 2007. The relationship between patient education and glycaemic control in a South African township. Primary Diabetes Care. 1: 87-91.
9. Dippenaar, H., Grobler, L. & Joubert, G. 2008. Multidisciplinary training of undergraduate students in the Faculty of Health Science: Hypertension as a case study. SA Fam Pract. 50(4); 70-72.
10. Brits, H. & Joubert, G. 2009. An investigation into the dramatic increase in deaths from gastro-enteritis during summer of 2007/2008 at National District Hospital, Bloemfontein Free State. SA Fam Pract. 51(5) 418-422.
11. Steenkamp, l., Dannhauser, A., Walsh, D., Joubert, G., Veldman, F.J., van der Walt, E & Dippenaar, H. 2009.Nutritional, immune, micronutrient and health status if HIV-infected children in care centres in Mangaung. S Afr J Clin Nutr. 22(3): 131-136.
12. Brits, H. Harding, R, & Penfold, S.: 2009 Paediatric antiretroviral therapy outcomes under HIV hospice care in South Africa. Int. J Palliat Nurs. 15(3); 142-5.
13. Brits, H. and Marston, J. 2011. Palliative care for children: pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Africa Health. 33(5); 28-30.
14. Brits, H., Augustyn, R., Bezuidenhout, E., Cillie, M., Janse van Vuuren, R. and Joubert, G. 2013.The nutritional status of Grade 1 pupils, in Bloemfontein, South Africa and its association with socio-demographic data. Afr J Prm Health Care Fam Med. 5(1)
15. Brits, H., Bezuidenhout, J., Steinberg. W.J. and Joubert, G 2014.An evaluation of the assessment tool used for Extensive mini-dissertations in the Master’s Degree in Family Medicine, University of the Free State S Afr Fam Prac. 56(2)125-133.
16. Kotze, J.M., Brits, H. and Botes, P.J. 2014.Part 1: Medico-legal documentation South African Police Services forms, Department of Justice forms and patient information. South African Family Practice 56(5):16-22.
17. Kotze, J.M., Brits, H., Monatisa, M.S. and Botes, P.J. 2014. Practical completion of pages 1 and 4 of the J88 form. Part 2: Medico-legal documentation.South African Family Practice 2014; 56(6):32-37.
18. Kotze, J.M., Brits, H. and Botes, P.J. 2015.Practical completion of pages 2 and 3 of the J88 form. Part 3: Medico-legal documentation South African Family Practice 57(1):16-22.
19. Brits, H., Branders, L., Claassen, M., Saaiman, D., Strauss,R., van Staden, A. and Joubert, G. 2015. The prevalence of multiple losses experienced by children from birth to 18 years in the National District Hospital in Bloemfontein. South African Family Practice. 56(5):1–5.
20. Brits, H., Joubert G.2015. Outcomes of children with advanced HIV initiated on antiretroviral therapy in a South African Hospice. International Journal of Palliative Nursing 21(6). doi: 10.12968/ijpn.2015.21.6.281
21. Gordon, S.A.N., Brits, H. and Raubenheimer, J.E. 2015. The effectiveness of the implementation of the Cape Triage Score at the emergency department of the National District Hospital, Bloemfontein. South African Family Practice. 1(1):1–6.
22. Downing, J., Singh, J.S., Mathews, L., Brits, H. and Friedrichsdorf, S.J .2015 Pediatric pain management in palliative care. Pain Manag. 5(1);23–35.
23. Brits, H., Adriaanse, M., Rall, D-M., Van Biljon, M., Van der Wal,t A., Wasserman, E. and Joubert, G. 2015. Causes of prematurity in the Bloemfontein Academic Complex. South African Family Practice 3(1):1–6.
24. Brits, H, Botha, A., Niksch, L., Terblanché, R., Venter, K. and Joubert, G. 2017. Illegible handwriting and other prescription errors on prescriptions at National District Hospital, Bloemfontein. South African Family Practice 59(1):51-55.
25. Kotzé, J.M. and Brits H. 2017.The emergency management of a rape case in a nutshell: adolescent and adult cases. South African Family Practice. Online http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20786190.2017.1280900
26. Brits H.2017.Child deaths at National District Hospital, Free State:One a month is better than one a week. Online; http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20786190.2017.1317991
27. Brits H, Joubert G, Eyman K, De Vink R, Lesaoana K, Makhetha S & Moeketsi K.2017.An assessment of the integrated nutrition programme for malnourished children aged six months to five years at primary healthcare facilities in Mangaung, Free State, South Africa. South African Family Practice 1(1) :P 1-5 http://dx.doi.org/10/1080/20786190.2017.1340252
28. Kotze JM & Brits H.2018.Do we miss half of injuries sustained during rape because we cannot see them?An overview of the use of toluidine blue stain in the medical assessment of rape. South African Family Practice. 60(2):37-40.https://doi.org/10.1080/20786190.2017.1386868
29. Brits H, Adendorf J, Huisamen D, Beukes D, Botha K, Herbst H& Joubert G. 2018. The prevalence of neonatal jaundice and risk factors in healthy neonates at National District Hospital in Bloemfontein.African Journal of Primary Healthcare and Family Medicine.10(1). A1582.https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v10i.1582
30. Allie Z, le Roux E, Mahlatsi K, Mofokeng B, Ramoo Z-A, Sibiya K, Joubert G, van Rooyen JP, Brits H. 2018. Bereavement overload and its effect on, and related coping mechanisms of health care providers and ward administrators at the National District Hospital in Bloemfontein, Free State. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine. https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v10i1.1652.
31. Brits, H.A descriptive study of trends in the pictures drawn by primary school learners in South Africa.2018. International Journal of Palliative Nursing. 24(7): 317-320. https://doi.org/10.12968/ijpn.2018.24.7.316
32. Kotze JM, Brits H.Child sexual abuse:The significance of the history and testifying on non-confirmatory findings.African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine. . 2019: 11(1);a .1954. https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v11i1.1954
33. Brits H, Joubert G, Lomberg L, Djan P, Mokoro G, Mokoena M, Malate P, Tengu D. #FeesMustFall2016: Perceived and measured effect on clinical medical students. South African Medical Journal, [S.l.], v. 109, n. 7, p. 493-497, jun. 2019. ISSN 2078-5135. Available at: <http://www.samj.org.za/index.php/samj/article/view/12644/8893

Maiden surname: Dippenaar

Treatment guidelines

Paediatric palliative care

Assessment in Education

Undergraduate medicine, physiotherapy and Occupational therapy

Post graduate Family Medicine

Director Sunflower Childrens` Hospice

Community training and support

Interprofessional training

Community projects and community based training in Trompsburg and Springfontein