Health System Integration and Primary Health Care Development
Description and aims
This stream is focused on the role of primary health care in improving health and social care integration. Integration is approached at a number of levels and perspectives with the ultimate objectives of improving health and well being, service user experience and system efficiency/effectiveness.
Key current research areas
Primary Health Care System Development
PHC System Development is concerned with the development of organisations, systems, capacity and frameworks needed for a strong Primary Health Care system. This includes the organisational structures including LHDs, PHNs, and emerging Australian models of Patient Centred Medical Homes and Neighbourhood
Improving integration of services and continuity of care
Improving Integration is concerned with the way that different parts of health and related systems work together to provide comprehensive and well-coordinated primary health care. This includes integration within primary health care and with other sectors, including hospitals.
Access to Primary Health Care
Access to PHC is concerned with patterns of access to quality Primary Health Care. This work includes studies of access to primary health care for people with diabetes, using data from population health surveys and linking records from hospital and other data sets.
Key partners
Partnerships and working together at individual and organisational levels are central to improved integration. Our key partners are consumer and health professional representative organisations, PHNs, LHDs, community organisations and related sectors such as local government, education, employment etc.
Stream lead
Margo Barr leads this stream.
Completed
Projects
Colocation of GPs and Primary Health Nurses in two disadvantaged communities
Health services have a key role in addressing health inequities through the provision of an accessible and comprehensive primary health care system. CHETRE worked closely with Directors of Community and Allied Health, SWSAHS and local Divisions of General Practice in developing, implementing and evaluating an innovative model of integrated primary health care to improve the health of people living in disadvantaged communities.
Commissioning Primary Health Care: a systematic rapid review
This rapid systematic review was undertaken for the NSW Ministry of Health to assist them in building an evidence base for commissioning primary health at the interface of acute care.
Describing models of emerging Australian integrated primary health care services
The Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, UNSW, is conducting a study to describe emerging models of Integrated Primary Health Care Services (IPHCS) that relate to major policy initiatives.
Developing an evaluation framework for the Integrated Primary Health and Community Care Services Program
NSW Health were seeking an evaluation framework for the Integrated Primary and Community Care Service (IPCCS) Program, a major component of their Integrated Primary and Community Health policy (2006-2011).