Pediatrician's Role in Primary Health Care

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 441-442
Author(s):  
JAMES E. STRAIN

The article by Starfield1 highlights important aspects of primary pediatric care. She points to some of the deficiencies of the pediatric primary care model as they relate to accessibility, comprehensiveness of care and coordination of care. She then poses several provocative questions about the pediatrician's role in the delivery of primary health care to children. Pediatrics, internal medicine, and family practice have traditionally been considered primary care specialties. The truth of the matter is that general pediatrics is a mix of primary and secondary care and in some cases tertiary care. It is the mundane and the esoteric, the assessment of growth and development and the treatment of acute and chronic diseases, the management of psychosocial and biomedical disorders and the care provided in the ambulatory as well as the hospital setting that make pediatrics interesting and exciting.

1998 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erly Catarina Moura

The Brazilian government has been implementing health care policies that emphasize primary health care since 1988. Yet, to date, no study has examined the effects of the policies on children. A cohort study assessed the effects of primary care on the health status of 85 twelve-month-old infants residing in a neighborhood of São Paulo. Infants were classified as "healthy" if they had been ill no more than three times during the first year, or "ill" if they had been ill at least four times. Primary pediatric care was considered either "continuous" or "fragmented". Continuous care was defined as starting care in the first month after birth and following the guidelines of the Health Secretariat of the City as to the number and interval of medical appointments. Otherwise, the infant was defined as receiving fragmented care. Forty percent of infants were classified as ill, and 89.4% were classified as receiving fragmented care. A bivariate analysis showed an association between fragmented care and illness (p=0.003). After adjusting for other variables, health status was predicted by maternal age and number of persons per room. The results show a relationship between low socio-economic status, inadequate access to care, and illness. The transition towards an equitable primary care system in Brazil is slow and challenging.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
L F Pinto ◽  
D Soranz ◽  
L J Santos ◽  
M S Paranhos ◽  
L S Malta ◽  
...  

Abstract Brazil is divided into five administrative regions, 27 federation units and 5,570 municipalities. Mato Grosso do Sul is one of the states located in the Midwest region and has 1.6 million km2 and a resident population of 2.8 million inhabitants, that is, it has an even lower demographic density than its region - only 7.8 inhabitants/km2. Mato Grosso do Sul has part of the Pantanal, a biome considered the largest continuous floodplain in the world, rich in biodiversity. For this reason, displacements for data collection in household surveys combine roads and rivers. In 2019, the Brazilian National Institute of Geography and Statistics (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica del Brasile) in partnership with the Ministry of Health launched the world's largest household sample survey, the National Health Survey (PNS-2019), in which part of its questions included the use of Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT, adult version), created by professors Barbara Starfield and Leiyu Shi in the 2000s. IBGE interviewers visited more than 100,000 households across the country. In Mato Grosso do Sul, more than 3,000 households were surveyed. In this work, we present the data collection instrument used by IBGE and its multiple analysis possibilities in the scope of primary health care, crossing the variables from other questionnaire modules in order to compare the results from Brazil with the state of Mato Grosso do Sul and its capital, Campo Grande. Developing a baseline and measuring the attributes of primary health care in each of the Brazilian states is another step towards giving health policy accountability, towards strong primary care. IBGE's experience in household surveys and innovation in data collection in primary care is an example for the world that yes, it is possible to develop statistically representative national sample surveys and make them perennial in their regular household surveys, by the time World Health Organization (WHO) discusses universal health coverage. Key messages Evaluation of primary care using an internationally validated instrument is possible on national bases with random household sample surveys. A questionnaire elaborated academically can be used as an instrument of public policy to evaluate nationwide health services.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Pinto ◽  
J V Santos ◽  
M Lobo ◽  
J Viana ◽  
J Souza ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In Portugal, there are different organizational models in primary health care (PHC), mainly regarding the payment scheme. USF-B is the only type with financial incentives to the professional (pay-for-performance). Our goal was to assess the relationship between groups of primary healthcare centres (ACES) with higher proportion of patients within USF-B model and the rate of avoidable hospitalizations, as proxy of primary care quality. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study considering the 55 ACES from mainland Portugal, in 2017. We used data from public hospitalizations to calculate the prevention quality indicator (avoidable hospitalizations) adjusted for age and sex, using direct standardization. The main independent variable was the proportion of patients in one ACES registered in the USF-B model. Unemployment rate, proportion of patients with family doctor and presence of Local Health Unit (different organization model) within ACES were also considered. The association was assessed by means of a linear regression model. Results Age-sex adjusted PQI value varied between 490 and 1715 hospitalizations per 100,000 inhabitants across ACES. We observed a significant effect of the proportion of patients within USF-B in the crude PQI rate (p = 0.001). However, using the age-sex adjusted PQI, there was not a statistical significant association (p = 0.504). This last model was also adjusted for confounding variables and the association remains non-significant (p = 0.865). Conclusions Our findings suggest that, when adjusting for age and sex, there is no evidence that ACES with more patients enrolled in a pay-for-performance model is associated with higher quality of PHC (using avoidable hospitalizations as proxy). Further studies addressing individual data should be performed. This work was financed by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 - POCI, and by Portuguese funds through FCT in the framework of the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030766 “1st.IndiQare”. Key messages Adjusting PQI to sex and age seems to influence its value more than the type of organizational model of primary health care. Groups of primary healthcare centres with more units under the pay-for-performance scheme was not associated with different rate of avoidable hospitalizations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (suppl 6) ◽  
pp. 2713-2719
Author(s):  
Daniela Cristina Moreira Marculino de Figueiredo ◽  
Helena Eri Shimizu ◽  
Walter Massa Ramalho ◽  
Alexandre Medeiros de Figueiredo ◽  
Kerle Dayana Tavares de Lucena

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe the evaluation of patients that participated in the National Program for Improving the Access and Quality in Primary Health Care (Programa Nacional de Melhoria do Acesso e da Qualidade na Atenção Básica) for the comprehensive healthcare, the bond and the coordination of care in the country's macro-regions. Method: A descriptive, transversal study, from interviews with 65,391 patients of Primary Health Care, in 3,944 municipalities regarding the use of health services. Results: The professionals seek to solve the patients' problems in their unit (73.1%) but focused mainly on the scope of the appointment (65.6%) and offering care away from the population's reality (69.4%). Difficulties in the rescue of clinical history were referred (50.3%) and in the care performed in other health services (29.2%). Conclusion: The comprehensive health care, the bond and the coordination of care remain challenges to the Primary Health Care in the country, requiring reflections on the implementation of national policies, especially considering the regional diversities in Brazil.


2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daiane Medeiros da Silva ◽  
Hérika Brito Gomes de Farias ◽  
Tereza Cristina Scatena Villa ◽  
Lenilde Duarte de Sá ◽  
Maria Eugênia Firmino Brunello ◽  
...  

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To analyze the care provided to tuberculosis cases in primary health care services according to the elements of the Chronic Care Model. METHOD: Cross-sectional study conducted in a capital city of the northeastern region of Brazil involving 83 Family Health Strategy professionals.A structured tool adapted to tuberculosis-related care in Brazil was applied.Analysis was based on the development of indicators with capacity to produce care varying between limited and optimum. RESULTS: The organization of care for tuberculosis and supported self-care presented reasonable capacity.In the coordination with the community, the presence of the community agent presented optimum capacity.Partnership with organizations of the community and involvement of experts presented limited capacity.The qualification of professionals, the system for scheduling and monitoring tuberculosis in the community, and the clinical information system presented basic capacity. CONCLUSION: The capacity of the primary health care services to produce tuberculosis-related care according to the elements of the Chronic Care Model is still limited.Overcoming the fragmentation of care and prioritizing a systemic operation between actions and services of the health care network remains as a major challenge.


2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 419-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabete Pimenta Araujo Paz ◽  
Pedro Miguel Santos Dinis Parreira ◽  
Alexandrina de Jesus Serra Lobo ◽  
Rosilene Rocha Palasson ◽  
Sheila Nascimento Pereira de Farias

Objective To develop the cross-cultural validation and assessment of the psychometric properties of the Questionnaire about the quality and satisfaction dimensions of patients with primary health care. Methods Methodological cultural adaptation and assessment study of the psychometric properties, involving 398 users from a primary care service. The construct validity was verified through principal components factor analysis and internal consistency assessment as determined by Cronbach’s alpha, using SPSS. Results A factorial structure was identified that is equivalent to the original instrument, showing six factors that explain 70.81% of the total variance. All internal consistency coefficients were higher than 0.84, indicating appropriate psychometric properties. Conclusion The results show that the Brazilian Portuguese version of the instrument is culturally and linguistically appropriate to assess the satisfaction of users attended in primary care services.


Author(s):  
Sabrina T. Wong ◽  
Julia M. Langton ◽  
Alan Katz ◽  
Martin Fortin ◽  
Marshall Godwin ◽  
...  

AbstractAimTo describe the process by which the 12 community-based primary health care (CBPHC) research teams worked together and fostered cross-jurisdictional collaboration, including collection of common indicators with the goal of using the same measures and data sources.BackgroundA pan-Canadian mechanism for common measurement of the impact of primary care innovations across Canada is lacking. The Canadian Institutes for Health Research and its partners funded 12 teams to conduct research and collaborate on development of a set of commonly collected indicators.MethodsA working group representing the 12 teams was established. They undertook an iterative process to consider existing primary care indicators identified from the literature and by stakeholders. Indicators were agreed upon with the intention of addressing three objectives across the 12 teams: (1) describing the impact of improving access to CBPHC; (2) examining the impact of alternative models of chronic disease prevention and management in CBPHC; and (3) describing the structures and context that influence the implementation, delivery, cost, and potential for scale-up of CBPHC innovations.FindingsNineteen common indicators within the core dimensions of primary care were identified: access, comprehensiveness, coordination, effectiveness, and equity. We also agreed to collect data on health care costs and utilization within each team. Data sources include surveys, health administrative data, interviews, focus groups, and case studies. Collaboration across these teams sets the foundation for a unique opportunity for new knowledge generation, over and above any knowledge developed by any one team. Keys to success are each team’s willingness to engage and commitment to working across teams, funding to support this collaboration, and distributed leadership across the working group. Reaching consensus on collection of common indicators is challenging but achievable.


1995 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 371-371
Author(s):  
Michael Phelan

This one day seminar was arranged by the King's Fund Organisational Audit team (KFOA), to take a multidisciplinary view of quality improvement in primary care. Despite the title of the day all the speakers were general practitioners and managers, and input from other professional groups was limited to questions and comments from the audience of nearly 200.


2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-371
Author(s):  
A. A. Mahfouz ◽  
A. I. Al Sharif ◽  
M. N. El Gamal ◽  
A. H. Kisha

Use of primary health care [PHC] services and satisfaction among elderly people [60 + years] in Asir was studied in 26 PHC centers. They visited PHC centers significantly less often than younger adults but they were referred significantly more often to secondary and tertiary care and for more laboratory tests. A r and om sample of 253 elderly people attending the centers was interviewed about accessibility, continuity, humaneness, informativeness and thoroughness of care. Overall, 79.0% were satisfied with the services provided. The leading 3 items of dissatisfaction were:not enough audiovisual means for health education [65.1%], long time spent in the centre [46.4%], and not enough specialty clinics [42.5%]


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