With the limited availability of empirical and documented knowledge about the Iraqi primary healthcare (PHC) system, this study aimed to identify the main problems facing the Iraqi PHC system and the priorities for change. A qualitative study based on a self-administered questionnaire survey involving 46 primary care managers, public health professionals and academics was conducted in Erbil, Ir...

Background and Aim: The Primary Health Care (PHC) system is the most comprehensive, equitable and efficient way to promote people's health and social welfare by providing preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliatvie services in a place close to where people live and work. Iran's PHC system faces challenges that limit its effectiveness and efficiency. The aim of this study was to identify...

Updated primary healthcare (PHC) indicators are now available for use across Canada. The Canadian Institute for Health Information identified and updated two sets of priority indicators - a policy set to meet the needs of policy makers and a provider set to meet the needs of providers of PHC at the practice and organization levels. A total of 51 indicator definitions were updated to ensure that...

The Rural Doctors’ Association of Southern Africa (RuDASA) has been very pleased with the government’s commitment to re-engineering and improving primary health care (PHC) in South Africa. We believe that good quality PHC must be the cornerstone of a well-functioning health care service and that, when done properly, is the most equitable, effective and cost-efficient manner in which to provide ...

WHAT DID WE DO?: This study uses an existing data source to (a) describe the population and geographic distribution of registered nurses (RNs) working in primary healthcare (PHC) in British Columbia, (b) compare this workforce to PHC physicians and (c) assess the distribution of PHC-RNs relative to population health status. WHAT DID WE LEARN?: Of the 27,570 practising RNs in British Columbia in...

The largest impact on the South African burden of disease will be made in community-based and primary healthcare (PHC) settings and not in referral hospitals. Medical generalism is an approach to the delivery of healthcare that routinely applies a broad and holistic perspective to the patient's problems and is a feature of PHC. A multi-professional team of generalists, who share similar values ...

BACKGROUND Following independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Estonia introduced a national insurance system, consolidated the number of health care providers, and introduced family medicine centred primary health care (PHC) to strengthen the health system. METHODS Using routinely collected health billing records for 2005-2012, we examine health system utilisation for seven ambulatory care...

Little research has been conducted to date on the role of primary health care (PHC) in the prevention of healthcare associated infections (HCAIs). The present article is a theoretical study of the principle of primum non nocere and aims to promote reflection on the role of PHC in HCAI prevention with emphasis on practical recommendations. The indirect and direct roles of PHC in HCAI prevention ...

BACKGROUND The demand for HIV care and treatment services is increasing rapidly and strategies to sustain long-term care should be employed. The decentralisation and integration of HIV care and treatment services into primary healthcare (PHC) is vitally important in order to ensure optimal access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy and ongoing chronic care. Conversely, the PHC system is fraug...

INTRODUCTION Examining how to deliver primary health care (PHC) services and increase their accessibility (regardless of geographic location) from the patient's perspective is needed. We conducted seven focus groups with people (n = 50) living in rural communities, in British Columbia, Canada, as they reflected on priorities for and use of PHC. METHODS In addition to discussing their prioriti...