International Implementation Research Network in Primary Health Care

This paper outlines the importance of Implementation Research in primary health care and the context in which it operates. The first section gives background to the vital role of implementation research in developing and supporting health care delivery, systems and services, and the importance of closely linking implementation research to primary health care to achieve this. The second section outlines the background, purpose and role of the IIRNPC and to discuss network activities in 2014

Improving postpartum care among low parity mothers in Palestine

In an effort to improve the health status of Palestinian women and their children in the West Bank and Gaza, USAID, in collaboration with the Palestinian Ministry of Health and a number of NGOs, designed and funded a 28-month pilot activity, the Pilot Health Project (PHP), that was expected to have a positive impact on the health of women and children. This report describes the results of the intervention designed to measure the effectiveness of a second home visit on low-parity women in 1) improving their knowledge and practices regarding their own health as well as the health of their newborn child; 2) increasing utilization of healthcare services postpartum, particularly the day 40 clinic visit; 3) increasing husband support; 4) increasing contraceptive use at six months postpartum; and 5) improving awareness and practice of breast and cervical cancer prevention techniques. Based on its findings, the report recommends: at least one home visit to low-parity women during the postpartum period, improving the performance of community health workers during home visits, involving husbands, encouraging mothers to seek postpartum care, catering to the needs of the mother as well as the newborn during the day 40 visit, and investigating use of mass media as a way of disseminating health information to low parity mothers

Importance of Primary Health Care in the Society

Primary health care (PHC) is the frontline care of the health care system that is comprehensive and coordinated. PHC provides multidisciplinary, patient-centered care with a focus on both the treatment and prevention of various conditions. It is the first point of contact to keep people well and improve their quality of life. A strong, accessible PHC system reduces pressure on hospitals by supporting people to manage their health issues in the society. The ultimate goal of primary health care is better health for all. WHO has identified key elements to achieving that goal: reducing exclusion and social disparities in health, organizing health services around people\u27s needs and expectations. The present paper is related to status and role of primary health care in India

A review of certain recent advances in primary health care

A strong primary health care system is the keystone of health care and helps patients manage their health conditions in the community, whilst also providing disease prevention services. Primary care is a continuously evolving specialty, with recent exciting innovations, aiming to improve all aspects of care and to meet people’s needs and expectations. A search for articles focusing on the specific aspects of recent advances in primary health care was done using internet search engines. Articles were selected from primary and secondary literature sources, which included original research articles, review articles and other epidemiological studies. Recent advances in information technology, services and access, dealing with multimorbidity, academic family medicine, equity and outcome measures have all made an impact on the primary health care system and on meeting the ever-increasing challenges of modern society. Primary health care is of extreme importance in having an efficient and effective health care system. As primary health care improves with recent advances, a positive effect is seen on the population’s health, cost savings and health care disparities.peer-reviewe

Options for finance in primary care in Australia

A number of policy initiatives aimed at reform of primary health care financing are currently either being debated nationally, or trialled in different jurisdictions. Commonwealth Government austerity and an interest from a wide range of stakeholders to mobilise capital from different parts of the economy have provided an incentive to explore new finance policy options for primary health care. However, recent reviews of primary health care finance have focused on contrasting the different payment systems, rather than the financing of primary health care in a more systemic sense. Finance is more than just an approach to payment, reflecting the flows of capital that structure service. Debates centred on payment systems (such as fee-for-service, salaries, capitation, pay for performance and activity–based funding) tend to eclipse the conceptual underpinnings of primary health care finance. This issues brief explores policy options that move beyond payment systems. It approaches primary health care from a deeper perspective with a focus on how to link objectives to outcomes through different financing approaches. For example, the separation of primary health care payment systems (mostly fee for service) from hospital payment systems (activity-based funding) creates numerous boundaries between parts of the sector. Although different payment systems separate health care into discrete segments, the lived reality for many people managing their health care is that they need to move across these fragmented elements of the system, with little overall sense of outcome. This issues brief will identify ways to consider primary health care finance policy options, by focusing on the objectives of different financing systems, how they connect to financial tools (such as impact investing), with a focus on health outcomes. It aims to broaden and deepen debate about primary health care finance. It is anticipated that the issues brief will also be a starting point for a structured debate through policy engagement events between policy makers, academics and practitioners about new models of finance for primary health

Global healthcare for the 21st century and beyond

Despite the Alma-Ata goal of acceptable health care for all by the year 2000, gross inequalities continue to condemn the world’s poorer and disadvantaged citizens to inadequate levels of health and health care. Articles in this issue describe important history, cultural influences and political events leading to this disparity, as well as current challenges and model programmes that inform our path forward

Primary Health Care

Primary health care is essential health care made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community. It is a base and the entrance of the whole health care system, often has the role of gate keeper. It has to be organized according to social realities in which communities live and work. The health system is developed relatively well among the countries in the South Eastern European region. The heath personnel are well-trained and public health services are well established and organized. Around 30% of general practitioners are specialists in family medicine. Health care services in Croatia are organized on three levels: primary, secondary and tertiary. On primary level operate general/family medicine, paediatric, gynaecological and dental practices, public health nursing, diagnostic laboratories and supporting services and pharmacies. The core of primary health services in Croatia are general/family medicine, paediatric services and community nurses. According to the Health Insurance Act in Croatia, there are three main health insurance schemes: basic, supplementary and private health insurance

Primary Health Care

This book presents examples from various countries about the provision of health services at the primary care level. Chapters examine the role of professionals in primary healthcare services and how they can work to improve the health of individuals and communities. Written by authors from Africa, Asia, America, Europe, and Australia, this book provides up-to-date information on primary health care, including telehealth services in the era of COVID-19

Primary Health Care

No Abstrac

New investments in primary care in Australia

There is a crisis in primary care health workforce shortages in Australia. Its government has attempted to fix this by role-substitution (replacing medical work with nursing instead). This was not completely successful. Obstacles included entrenched social roles (leading to doctors 'checking' their nurse role-substituted work) and structures (nurses subservient to doctors) - both exacerbated by primary care doctors' ageing demographic; doctors owning their own practices; doctors feeling themselves to have primary responsibility for the care delivered; and greater attraction towards independence that may have selected doctors into primary care in the first place