In celebrating the 30th anniversary of primary health care (PHC) and the declaration of Alma Ata in 1978, it is useful to remind ourselves that PHC was identified as the means or strategy to achieve health for all. In other words PHC was considered a comprehensive health developmental approach. Such an approach includes several features and each word in the phrase “primary health care approach”...

Objective To evaluate the performance of Primary Health Care (PHC) in treatment of TB patients in a triple international border municipality. Methods The present study was an evaluative survey of cross-sectional and quantitative approach conducted with 225 PHC healthcare professionals. Data was collected through a structured and validated instrument, which provided five indicators of "structu...

BACKGROUND Effective promotion of exercise could result in substantial savings in healthcare cost expenses in terms of direct medical costs, such as the number of medical appointments. However, this is hampered by our limited knowledge of how to achieve sustained increases in physical activity. OBJECTIVES To assess the effectiveness of a Primary Health Care (PHC) based physical activity progr...

INTRODUCTION The South African National Department of Health sought to improve syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Continuing medical education on STIs was delivered at primary healthcare (PHC) clinics using one of three training methods: (1) lecture, (2) computer and (3) paper-based. Clinics with training were compared with control clinics. METHODS Ten PHC clinics...

OBJECTIVE To critically review the advantages and disadvantages of selective versus comprehensive Primary Health Care (PHC) approaches as a strategy towards improving health in the developing world. DATA SOURCES Review of literature on PHC. DATA SELECTION Relevant papers from western and developing world literature. DATA EXTRACTION Search of Pub-Med, WHO/UNICEF reports, and relevant publi...

Abstract Background China has undergone a comprehensive primary healthcare(PHC) reform since 2009 aiming to deliver accessible, higher-quality, and equitable healthcare. However, there is limited understanding of the effectiveness this reform. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on health system impacts Methods We searched 13 international databases three Chinese for quantitative studie...

Objective. To investigate the diagnostic accuracy and clinical benefit of point-of-care Troponin T testing (POCT-TnT) in the management of patients with chest pain. Design. Observational, prospective, cross-sectional study with followup. Setting. Three primary health care (PHC) centres using POCT-TnT and four PHC centres not using POCT-TnT in the southeast of Sweden. Patients. All patients ≥35 ...

BACKGROUND Knowledge and understanding of health service usage are necessary for health resource allocation, planning and monitoring the achievement of universal coverage (UHC). There is limited information on patterns of utilization among adult users of primary health care (PHC) services. Lack of understanding of current and past utilization patterns of health services often hinders the improv...

BACKGROUND The South African allied health (AH) primary healthcare (PHC) workforce is challenged with the complex rehabilitation needs of escalating patient numbers. The application of evidence-based care using clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) is one way to make efficient and effective use of resources. Although CPGs are common for AH in high-income countries, there is limited understanding ...

Chronic diseases in most cases belong to the category of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are the main cause of mortality globally. Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer are the four NCDs responsible for 82% of NCD deaths. Prevention of NCDs implies health promotion activities that encourage healthy lifestyle and limit the initial onset of ch...