A NEW OPEN-ACCESS JOURNAL Next month will see the launch of BJGP Open, our new open access, online-only journal of primary care research, practice, and policy. BJGP Open will have original, high-quality, peer-reviewed primary care research at its core, complemented by case studies, clinical reports, policy analysis, and the opportunity for discussion and debate. CONTINUING TO BUILD THE EVIDENCE...

Objectives We explored the real cost of training the workforce in a range of primary health care professions in Australia with a focus on the impact of retention to contribute to the debate on how best to achieve the optimal health workforce mix. Methods The cost to train an entry-level health professional across 12 disciplines was derived from university fees, payment for clinical placements a...

BACKGROUND This debate discusses the potential merits of a New Graduate Nurse Transition to Primary Health Care Program as an untested but potential nursing workforce development and sustainability strategy. Increasingly in Australia, health policy is focusing on the role of general practice and multidisciplinary teams in meeting the service needs of ageing populations in the community. Primary...

BACKGROUND Specialist palliative care is being increasingly recognised and developed to improve end-of-life care in many developed countries. However, only a small proportion of the total number of patients with incurable, progressive diseases actually has direct contact with specialist palliative care practitioners. Using the German situation as an example, the main purpose of this paper is to...

BACKGROUND Subjective memory complaints (SMC) are common among elderly patients and little is know about the association between SMC and health care utilisation. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate health care utilisation during a three-year follow-up among elderly patients consulting their general practitioner and reporting subjective memory complaints (SMC). METHODS This study wa...

A sample of 1570 men and women aged 20-45 years registered with an inner-city Cardiff practice were offered the opportunity by their general practitioner to have a health check at the surgery. The demographic characteristics, attitudes, beliefs and preventive health behaviour and past contact with the practice were compared for a sample of 259 non-attenders and 216 attenders. The results showed...

OBJECTIVE Turkey has implemented family practice on a pilot basis as part of the reform in health care, since 2005. This paper aims to understand and describe the prevalent practice patterns and clinic characteristics during the transition period. DESIGN A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. SUBJECTS An online survey was conducted among Turkish GPs working as primary care doc...

This qualitative research project explored the experiences of primary health care providers working with newly arrived refugees in Brisbane. Data from 36 participants (20 general practitioners, five practice nurses and 11 administrative staff) involved in five focus groups and four semi-structured interviews were analysed. The results indicated that despite difficulties, providers are committed...

background & purpose: since 2005, a reform known as rural insurance and family medicine scheme has introduced to primary health care network in iran in rural areas and small towns. the content of the reform implies a substantial change in those aspects of health centers that mainly could be categorized as structural quality. although, this is the requirement of all health care providers, they a...

The delivery of care in the community is increasingly seen as vital in terms of patient outcomes, health promotion, and the prevention of illness in society. The primary care practitioner is generally the first point of contact with the healthcare system, and current reforms in primary health care—as well as the dynamic nature of society and social preferences—have seen the roles of general pra...