Primary Health Care Flashcards
primary care
o The first contact people have with the health system to seek services for a diagnosis, treatment and follow-up for a specific health problem, or to access routine screening such as an annual check up
o The first point of contact a person has with the health system, the point where people receive care for most of their everyday health needs
o Typically provided by family physicians, nurses, dietitians, mental health professionals, pharmacists, therapists and others
o Includes the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of various health conditions
o Also includes referrals to specialists and diagnostic services such as laboratory tests or x-rays
secondary care
o Medical care provided by a specialist or facility upon referral by a primary care physician that requires more specialized knowledge, skill, or equipment than the primary care physician has
tertiary care
o Highly specialized medical care usually over an extended period of time that involves advanced and complex procedures and treatments performed by medical specialists in state-of-the-art facilities
primary health care
o A whole-of-society approach to health that aims to equitably maximized the level and distribution of health and well-being by focusing on people’s needs and preferences (both as individuals and communities) as early as possible along the entire continuum of care, and as close as feasible to people’s everyday environment
o Integrated with acute and specialist care
o Multisectoral collaboration
o The “front door” to health care
primary health care includes
primary care, public health, wellness, community and social supports, supportive living/home care, services directly available (no referral required), family care clinics, primary care networks, independent physician clinics, public health centres, community based facilities
primary care is a component of primary health care and includes
o Clinical services like diagnosis and treatment of non-urgent conditions
o Chronic disease prevention and management
o Mental health and addiction treatment
both primary care and primary health care are…
o First point of contact with health care providers
o Acknowledge importance of prevention and health promotion
o Strive for universal access and affordability
o Target “at risk” clients for prevention
primary health care is…
o Broader than primary care
o Focus on prevention and wellness
o Recognizes that improving people’s health is determined by factors in daily lives such as lifestyles, housing, relationships, spiritual beliefs, income, workplaces
o Correlated with: improved population health outcomes, higher user satisfaction, lower total health care spending
vision or primary health care
o Supporting individuals and families to achieve the best health possible
o People taking: an active role in making decisions about their health, an active role in managing their health
primary care networks (PCN)
o Groups of family doctors that work with alberta health services and other health professionals to coordinate the delivery of primary care services
o A network of doctors and other health care providers (nurses, dieticians, pharmacists)
o Each primary care network comprises one clinic with many physicians and support staff or several doctors in several clinics in a geographic area
o Each primary care network has flexibility to develop programs and provide services to meet specific needs of patients locally
o Focus on needs of the local population
goals of primary care networks
o Increasing proportion of Albertans with ready access to primary care
o Managing access to make available 24/7 primary care services
o Increasing emphasis on health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and care of patients with complex problems or chronic diseases
o Improving coordination of primary care with hospital, long-term and specialty care
o Facilitating use of multidisciplinary teams in primary health care
family care clinics (FCC)
o Local, team-based primary health delivery organizations
o Provide individual and family-focused primary health care services tailored to meet the health needs of a community
o Staff coordinate range of primary health care services that cover an individual’s entire lifespan
o Provide access to most appropriate member of the health care team to address their health and social needs
o Extended hours of service and same day access
o Team members may include family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, dieticians, pharmacists, mental health professionals
o People do not need to see physician for many services
differences between PCN and FCC
o FCCs are specifically targeted at underserved communities, have more defined mandate to focus on social determinants of health and are expected to deliver all of their services under one roof, rather than be spread across a region
guiding principles of primary health care
o Person-centered, accessible, sustainable, collaborative, proactive, continuity of care, quality, accountable, equitable
desired outcomes of primary health care
o Attachment = all Albertans have a “health home” – a home base in the health care system
o Quality = clinical and social supports together promote wellness, provide quality care, and manage chronic disease
o Self-management = Albertans involved in their care and provided with supports needed to improve and manage health
o Access = have timely access to a primary health care team
o Improvement in health status and care experience = as health as can be, with better overall health and positive experiences with primary health care
o Provider engagement and satisfaction = happy with work life; able to provide quality care
