What should primary care look like after the COVID-19 pandemic?

The response to COVID-19 transformed primary care: new telehealth items were added to the Medicare Benefits Schedule, and their use quickly escalated, general practices and community health centres developed new ways of working and patients embraced the changes. As new coronavirus infections plummet and governments contemplate lifting spatial distancing restrictions, attention should turn to the transition out of pandemic mode. Some good things happened during the pandemic, including the rapid introduction of the new telehealth items. The post-pandemic health system should learn from the COVID-19 changes and create a new normal.

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The development of urban community health centres for strengthening primary care in China: a systematic literature review

British Medical Bulletin ◽

10.1093/bmb/ldv043 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. ldv043 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Harry H. X. Wang ◽

Jia Ji Wang ◽

Samuel Y. S. Wong ◽

Martin C. S. Wong ◽

Stewart W. Mercer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Literature Review ◽

Community Health ◽

Systematic Literature Review ◽

Urban Community ◽

Community Health Centres ◽

Health Centres

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Attributes of primary care in community health centres in China and implications for equitable care: a cross-sectional measurement of patients' experiences

QJM ◽

10.1093/qjmed/hcu248 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 108 (7) ◽

pp. 549-560 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

H. H. X. Wang ◽

S. Y. S. Wong ◽

M. C. S. Wong ◽

J. J. Wang ◽

X. L. Wei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Community Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Community Health Centres ◽

Health Centres ◽

Sectional Measurement

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Community Health and General Practice: The Impact of Different Cultures on the Integration of Primary Care

Australian Journal of Primary Health ◽

10.1071/py01010 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 65 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hal Swerissen ◽

Jenny Macmillan ◽

Catuscia Biuso ◽

Linda Tilgner

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Health Care ◽

General Practice ◽

Primary Health Care ◽

Community Health ◽

Community Health Centres ◽

Care Services ◽

Primary Health ◽

Health Centres ◽

The Relationship

This study examined the existing relationship between community health centres and General Practice Divisions in the State of Victoria, including the nature of joint working arrangements and the identification of barriers to greater collaboration. Improved integration of primary health care services has been advocated to improve consumer and population health outcomes and to reduce inappropriate use of acute and extended care services. General practitioners (GPs) and community health centres are two key providers of primary health care with potential for greater integration. The current study conducted telephone interviews with 20 community health centre CEOs and 18 Executive Officers of divisions, which were matched according to catchment boundaries. Results suggest, while some joint planning is occurring, especially on committees, working parties and projects, there is an overall low level of satisfaction with the relationship between community health centres and GPs and GP divisions. Major barriers to greater integration are the financial or business interests of GPs and misunderstanding and differences in perceived roles and ideology between GPs and community health centres. Improved communication, greater contact and referral and follow-up procedures are identified as a means of improving the relationship between GPs, GP divisions and community health centres. Community health centres and general practitioners (GPs) are key providers of primary care (Australian Community Health Association, 1990).

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The impact of hospital attributes on patient choice for first visit: evidence from a discrete choice experiment in Shanghai, China

Health Policy and Planning ◽

10.1093/heapol/czz159 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 267-278 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yun Liu ◽

Qingxia Kong ◽

Shan Wang ◽

Liwei Zhong ◽

Joris van de Klundert

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Health Care ◽

Community Health ◽

Discrete Choice ◽

Choice Experiment ◽

Patient Flow ◽

Urban China ◽

Community Health Centres ◽

Health Centres ◽

Efficiency And Effectiveness

Abstract The underutilization of primary care in urban China threatens the efficiency and effectiveness of the Chinese health system. To guide patient flow to primary care, the Chinese government has rolled out a sequence of health care reforms which improve the affordability, the infrastructure and workforce of the primary care system. However, these measures have not yielded the desired effect on the utilization of primary care, which is lowest in urban areas. It is unclear how the factors identified to influence facility choice in urban China are actually impacting choice behaviour. We conducted a discrete choice experiment to elicit the quantitative impact of facility attributes when choosing a health care facility for first visit and analysed how the stated choice varies with these attributes. We found that the respondents placed different weights on the identified attributes, depending on whether they perceived their condition to be minor or severe. For conditions perceived as minor, the respondents valued visit time, equipment and medical skill most. For conditions perceived as severe, they placed most importance on equipment, travel time and facility size. We found that for conditions perceived as minor, only 14% preferred visiting a facility over opting out, a percentage which would more than double to 37% if community health centres were maximally improved. For conditions perceived as severe, improvements in community health centres may almost double first visits to primary care, mostly from patients who would otherwise choose higher-level facilities. Our findings suggest that for both severity conditions, improvements to medical equipment and medical skill at community health centres in urban China can effectively direct patient flow to primary care and promote the efficiency and effectiveness of the urban health system.

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Coordination and Integration in the Bentleigh Bayside Community Health Service

Australian Journal of Primary Health ◽

10.1071/py00058 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 241

Author(s):

Lillith Collins ◽

John Turner

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Health Service ◽

Community Health ◽

Support Groups ◽

Community Health Service ◽

Specific Reference ◽

Base Line ◽

Community Health Centres ◽

Health Centres

The paper examines the development of coordinated and integrated primary care services through the establishment of community health centres in Victoria, with specific reference to the Bentleigh Bayside Community Health Service. In 1985 a random sample of 412 case records indicated that 52.4% of patients had seen more than one discipline at the Centre, and 34.7% of these patients received integrated care through case planning meetings. Fourteen criteria derived from the current literature were used to evaluate the integration and coordination of treatments and of health promotion activities. A repeat study demonstrated gains in health promotion, especially with respect to establishing support groups and the local coordination of community interventions. Integrated casework with external agencies has not changed. The analysis provides a base line for examining the effects of policy developments such as Primary Care Partnerships that address the issues of common assessments, exchange of client information and health promotion. Primary Care Partnerships are an extension of the structures in Community Health Centres. Primary Care Partnerships need to encourage personal contacts between agencies in order for individual and community health plans to be as effective as possible.

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