Development of an ecological framework for building successful collaboration between Primary Care and Public Health

Background Health systems worldwide are interested in determining the best ways for primary care (PC) and public health (PH) to collaborate to improve population and system outcomes. Since examples of successful collaborations between PC and PH exist, research is needed to document what has worked and lessons learned. This presentation will describe the development of the Ecological Framework for Building Successful Collaboration Between Primary Care and Public Health. The Framework is the culmination of a four and a half year program of research that aimed to: explore structures and processes required to build successful collaborations between PC and PH; understand the nature of existing collaborations in Canada; and, examine roles that nurses and other providers played in collaborations.