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Primary Health Care
Primary Care Initiative
Primary Care and Community Health
Initiative
Trillium Health
Centre recognized the need to identify innovative strategies
and approaches to strengthen and integrate primary care and
practices, and community-based health services to meet community
needs.
In May 2001, Trillium
gathered together the Planning Council on Primary Care and
Community Care Linkages to develop tangible ways to strengthen
Trillium's focus on supporting and promoting improvements
in primary and community care. The exciting planning process
culminated in the development of a final report, prepared
in October 2001, which held 26 recommendations to make the
vision a reality.
The Primary Care
and Community Health Steering Committee will implement the
recommendations, supported by dedicated staff resources. Recommendations
focus on two main "enablers" which are key to the development
of the initiative:
Approaches
to Care
These reflect how care is organized and provided, and
include shared care models, supporting specialty interests
of family physicians, supporting the family physician's role
in the continuum of care, and increasing the participation
of family physicians in primary care clinics and support services
in target areas such as diabetes and mental health.
Supporting
Mechanisms
These are policies, protocols, practices and systems,
which will assist people to provide care. Mechanisms focus
on four areas: information and communication systems, education
and development, physical barriers to access, and appropriate
policies, protocols and practices.
If you are interested
in learning more about this exciting initiative, please contact
Nicole Gaertner at ngaertner@thc.on.ca
Trillium’s Definition of
Primary Health Care
The Planning Council
on Primary and Community Care Linkages recommended Trillium
Health Centre develop and adopt a definition of primary health
care in October 2001. This definition was modified in March
2004 to include determinants of health and a broad range of
providers including, but not limited to, health care professionals.
" Primary health care is the first level of care and
usually the first point of contact that people have with the
health care system. Primary health care is made universally
accessible to individuals and families in the community through
their full participation.
Primary health care is concerned with all factors that
promote health for popula-tions. It addresses factors which
determine health such as income, social status, education,
employment, working conditions, social and physical environments,
biology and genetic endowments, personal health practices
and coping skills, healthy child development, health services,
gender and culture. These factors are recognized and addressed
through appropriate linkages within health services systems,
but also with sectors related to social and community development,
such as community groups and agencies, family caregivers,
volunteer organizations, government departments and others.
Primary health care services are coordinated, accessible
to all consumers, and are accessed through a variety of providers
who have the right skills to meet the needs of individuals
and the communities being served. These providers work in
partnership with consumers and each other, and facilitate
consumer use of health-related services and their access to
various levels of care when required.
Primary health care empowers individuals and families
to make the best decisions for their health and requires a
strong foundation of community-based services that enable
people to maintain and strengthen their health. It includes
health assess-ments; clinical evidence-based illness prevention
and health promotion; appro-priate interventions for episodic
illness and injury; primary reproductive care; early detection,
and initial and on-going treatment of chronic illnesses; care
for the majority of illnesses (in conjunction with specialists
as needed); education and support for self-care; support for
hospital care and care provided at home and in long-term care
facilities; arrangements for 24 hour/7 day a week response;
service coordination and referral; primary mental health care
including psycho-social counselling; coordination and access
to rehabilitation; and support for people with terminal illness.
Primary health care is based on practical, scientifically
sound and socially acceptable methods and technology. These
are routinely evaluated through research and practice, the
results of which are used to make ongoing improvements in
care.”
Primary Care News Bulletins
February
2006
October
2005
December
2004
June
2004
October
2003
May
2003
November
2002
June
2002
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