scholarly journals Primary care research – influencing and implementing into policy

2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 138-144
Author(s):  
Sally Kendall

Abstract This editorial describes how research in primary health care can be used to influence policy. It draws on previous literature to give an example from the UK of how research in one part of primary care, the health-visiting service, has endeavoured to use evidence to influence policy and practice. The editorial considers frameworks for policy implementation such as Bardach’s eight phase approach and concepts that can inform policy implementation such as Lipsky’s Street-Level Bureaucrat approach.

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (S1) ◽  
pp. 102-103
Author(s):  
Charles Yan ◽  
Bing Guo ◽  
Paula Corabian

Introduction:Population growth, epidemiological and demographic transition, and a shortage of healthcare workers are affecting health care systems in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US). Community paramedicine (CP) programs provide a bridge between primary care and emergency care to address the needs of patients with low acuity but lack of access to primary care. However, how to capture the key characteristics of these programs and present them in a meaningful way is still a challenge. The objective of this presentation is to identify and describe the characteristics of currently existing CP programs in the four countries to inform policy-making on CP program development in Alberta.Methods:Information was obtained from systematic reviews, health technology assessments, general reviews, and government documents identified through a comprehensive literature search. The characteristics of the CP programs are described using a framework originally developed in Australia with three categories: (i) the primary health care model, (ii) the health integration model (in Australia, called the substitution model), and (iii) the community coordination model.Results:In general, Australia emphasizes rural/remote paramedics, whereas Canada, the UK, and the US implement expanded paramedic practice within different environments including rural, remote, regional, and metropolitan settings. Extended care provider programs have been intensively investigated and widely implemented in the UK. While the identified CP programs vary in terms of program components, designation of providers, skill mix, target population, and funding model, the majority of these CP programs fall under the primary health care category of the Australian framework.Conclusions:Transitioning from hospital-based to community-based health care requires careful consideration of all key factors that could contribute to future program success. Delineating key components of CP programs using the Australian framework will help Alberta decision-makers design, develop, and implement appropriate CP programs that adequately address local needs.


2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynsey J. Brown ◽  
Ellen L. McIntyre

The importance of primary health care (PHC) research is well understood yet conducting this research can be challenging. Barriers include a lack of funding, support and opportunity. In 2000 the Australian government introduced the Primary Health Care Research, Evaluation and Development (PHCRED) Strategy to address the gap in high-quality research. One component of the strategy, the Research Capacity Building Initiative, provided funding to university departments of general practice and rural health, allowing them to expand their pool of researchers and produce more research relevant to policy and practice. This study investigates the impact of phase two of the PHCRED Strategy by analysing peer-reviewed publications from PHCRED-supported departments. Research output was recorded from 2006 to 2010 incorporating 661 publications in 212 journals. Rural departments often had fewer resources than urban departments yet demonstrated steady research contributions focusing on issues relevant to their community. Since its inception the PHCRED Strategy has enabled development of research capacity and contributed to the body of PHC knowledge. While PHC is a diverse field, reflected in the publications produced, the themes underlying much of this work were representative of current health reform and the priority areas and building blocks of the National PHC Strategy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (685) ◽  
pp. e537-e545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cara Kang ◽  
Louise Tomkow ◽  
Rebecca Farrington

BackgroundAsylum seekers and refugees (ASR) face difficulty accessing health care in host countries. In 2017, NHS charges for overseas visitors were extended to include some community care for refused asylum seekers. There is growing concern that this will increase access difficulties, but no recent research has documented the lived experiences of ASR accessing UK primary health care.AimTo examine ASR experiences accessing primary health care in the UK in 2018.Design and settingThis was a qualitative community-based study. ASR were recruited by criterion-based sampling through voluntary community organisations.MethodA total of 18 ASR completed face-to-face semi-structured recorded interviews discussing primary care access. Transcripts underwent thematic analysis by three researchers using Penchansky and Thomas’s modified theory of access.ResultsThe qualitative data show that participants found primary care services difficult to navigate and negotiate. Dominant themes included language barriers and inadequate interpretation services; lack of awareness of the structure and function of the NHS; difficulty meeting the costs of dental care, prescription fees, and transport to appointments; and the perception of discrimination relating to race, religion, and immigration status.ConclusionBy centralising the voices of ASR and illustrating the negative consequences of poor healthcare access, this article urges consideration of how access to primary care in the UK can be enhanced for often marginalised individuals with complex needs.


2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Jenny Advocat ◽  
Grant Russell ◽  
Mary Mathews

Primary care is the foundation of a nation’s health care system. Real world research is a requirement of a health system built to deliver the benefits of a strong primary care community. In the last decade, new approaches to optimising the impact of research on practice and policy have been formulated across disciplines. However, in Australia, the primary care research community remains small and primary care researchers are not well represented in either receiving support for or governing research. While practice-based research networks (PBRNs) have brought GPs and, sometimes, other clinicians together with academics, few have managed to bring local decision makers and other primary health care stakeholders into partnerships where they can work together on common problems. This paper outlines a novel three-way partnership between a health authority, a primary care organisation and a university in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne. A case study was undertaken based on author experience of the Southern Academic Primary Care Research Unit (SAPCRU) and semi-structured interviews with representatives from partner organisations. Interviews elicited perceived barriers and facilitators, including complex financial, human resources and governance challenges, associated with bridging the gap between research and practice. It was found that SAPCRU has been successful in engaging with research partners and has begun to develop links with policy makers and orient research themes to the needs of its varied communities. Especially with the introduction of Primary Health Networks (PHNs), the model has the potential to translate to different settings but barriers should be noted.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Divya Kanwar Bhati ◽  
Michael Fitzgerald ◽  
Claire Kendall ◽  
Simone Dahrouge

Plain English summary Patient engagement in primary care research is an increasingly common requirement, as it helps make research more relevant to patients and therefore more valuable. However, there is limited evidence about the outcomes on engagement and actually how it affects research. In Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research has a Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR), which in 2016 funded Ontario’s INSPIRE-PHC centre of excellence and its Patient Engagement Resource Centre (PERC). PERC conducted an online survey of the three INSPIRE-PHC studies that engaged patients to guide their research. We found that patient partners (PPs) were positive about their experience during research meetings, the value of collaboration, and the support that was provided. They were more involved in early stages of their research projects than in ongoing research activities. PPs valued their experience and also felt they had improved the research process and outcomes. This case study showed how PPs perceive their roles, but a more diverse group of PPs might have more differences in their experience. Abstract Background Patient engagement in primary care research is increasing and is now an expectation in many countries and funding agencies. In Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has mandated that patients be included as partners to guide the research process. Ontario’s Patient Engagement Resource Centre (PERC) was established in 2016 by the INNOVATIONS STRENGTHENING PRIMARY HEALTH CARE THROUGH RESEARCH (INSPIRE-PHC), one of 12 centres of excellence in the province funded under the CIHR’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) initiative. PERC’s mission is to support the authentic engagement of patients in primary care research. The present case study examines patients’ experience of engagement in INSPIRE-PHC research studies. Methods PERC conducted a web-based evaluation survey across the three INSPIRE-PHC studies that engaged patient partners (PPs). We used data collection tools developed by McMaster University (the Public and Patient Engagement Evaluation Tool (PPEET)) and the Patient-Centred Outcomes Research Institute (Ways of Engaging- ENgagement ACtivity Tool (WE-ENACT)) to assess patient experience and areas of involvement. These included both closed- and open-ended questions. Results The quantitative data showed that PPs were positive about their experience during research meetings, the value of collaboration, and the support that was provided to facilitate engagement. Most of them were highly involved in the initial stages of their research projects but much less involved in operational activities. The qualitative findings showed that, overall, PPs valued their experience, felt prepared to contribute and that their contributions were welcomed. In particular, they considered that they had improved the research process and outcomes. The majority also reported that they had learned from the experience and found it valuable. Conclusions This case study shows that patients engaged in three primary care research studies found the experience to be positive and felt that they had contributed to the research. This study adds to the literature on the evaluation of patient engagement in primary health care research. However, a study of a more diverse sample of PPs might elucidate differences in experience that could enrich future patient engagement activities.


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.


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