BACKGROUND Person-centred, re-engineered primary health care (PHC) is a national and global priority. Faith-based health care is a significant provider of PHC in sub-Saharan Africa, but there is limited published data on the reasons for patient choice of faith-based health care, particularly in South Africa. AIM The primary objective was to determine and explore the reasons for patient choice...

Objective The purpose of this commentary is to propose a flexible practice innovations decision model (PIDM) for use in health services planning and management. Method This is an example of fuzzy decision analysis. The elements of the model are explained by applying it to the decision of whether to open a primary care clinic in retail space. The model contains 10 criteria, each of which score...

Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) have emerged as laboratories in which to address important primary care challenges. In 2011, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's PBRN database included more than 130 networks, most regional and some national, with member practices in every state. Regional networks may have certain advantages over national networks with respect to practice re...

comprehensive review of the uses and interpretation of anthropometric references. The review concluded that the NCHS/WHO growth reference, which had been recommended for international use since the late 1970s, did not adequately represent early childhood growth and that new growth curves were necessary. The World Health Assembly endorsed this recommendation in 1994. The WHO Multicentre Growth R...

OBJECTIVE This study compares the primary health care quality of community health centers (CHCs) and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in South Carolina to elucidate the quality of CHC performance relative to mainstream settings such as the HMO. METHODS Mail surveys were used to obtain data from 350 randomly selected HMO users. Surveys with follow-up interviews were conducted to obtain ...

objective: this study proposed a model for provision of an effective universal coverage for mental health services based on global and national experiences, available resources and the nature of primary health care system of iran to reduce the burden of mental health conditions. method: a framework with prioritized mental and social health services was devised through a review of literature and...

objectives: this study was conducted on the estimation of the efficiency of mental health program in primary health care in chaharmahal and bakhtyari province, situated in center of the islamic republic of iran, from 1999 to 2009. methods: one of the important objectives of mental health program is screening of mental health disorders and follow up. according to the prescription of mental healt...

Heparan Sulfate Side Chains have a Critical Role in the Inhibitory Effects of 1 Perlecan on Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Response to Arterial Injury 2 *Lara Gotha MSc, *Sang Yup Lim MD, PhD Azriel B. Osherov MD, Rafael Wolff 3 MD, Beiping Qiang MD, PhD, Ilana Erlich MD, Nafiseh Nili PhD, Sivaram 4 Pillarisetti PhD, Ya-Ting Chang MD, Phan-Kiet Tran MD, PhD, Karl Tryggvason 5 PhD, Ulf Hedin MD, Ph...

OBJECTIVE Primary health care (PHC) is a vital in any community. Any health centre with a well implemented PHC program can stand the test of time in curbing under five mortality and morbidity. This study was therefore aimed at assessing the activities in a health centre located in a rural area in Enugu state and to determine the pattern and presentation of various diseases in the health centre....

OBJECTIVE Community participation is often described as a key for primary health care in low-income countries. Recent performance-based financing (PBF) initiatives have renewed the interest in this strategy by questioning the accountability of those in charge at the health centre (HC) level. We analyse the place of two downward accountability mechanisms in a PBF scheme: health committees electe...