PHCS evaluation
The Evaluation of the Implementation and Intermediate Outcomes of the Primary Health Care Strategy, conducted by Victoria University's Health Services Research Centre, has reported on the first phase of research and is currently in the second phase of data collection.
Dr Jackie Cumming, of the Health Services Research Centre, says the researchers have completed one round of data collection for the evaluation and are about to undertake further research during 2006. This involves a second round of qualitative research with district health boards, primary health organisations (PHOs), and practices and practice staff, to see how the strategy's implementation is progressing and to identify key changes in service delivery resulting from the strategy.
The research team is also surveying PHO board members and managers, management services organisations, practices and practice staff about the impact of the strategy. Finally, a significant amount of work is under way using practice and national quantitative data sources to assess the impact of the strategy on use of services, intermediate health outcomes - such as immunisation and screening rates and use of hospital services - and quality of care. Attention is also being paid to the role of nurses in the strategy and to issues such as teamwork.
The first phase of the evaluation included interviews with more than 160 policy makers, stakeholders, and participants from both within and outside primary health organisations. The results, published in May 2005, showed:
- a strong positive response to the goals of the strategy
- fee reductions seemed to be leading to improved access for key population groups
- some concern about the sustainability of the strategy
- some preference for targeted funding
- good community representation on PHO boards
- some innovative approaches to primary health care (e.g. increasing role for nurses and community health workers; new services such as clinics and outreach services).
For more information go to http://www.vuw.ac.nz/hsrc/reports/primary-index.aspx
