An assessment of a 'training-of-trainers programme for clinic committees' in a South African district: a qualitative exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: In South Africa (SA), clinics and community health centres are the predominant primary level health care facilities in the public health sector. As part of legislated health governance requirements, clinic committees (referring to those for clinics and community health centres) were established to provide management oversight and bring to bear the perspectives and participation of communities at Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities. Clinic committees need training in order to better understand their roles. Facilitators in a district of SA were trained through a designated programme, called the 'PHC Facility Governance Structures Trainer-of-Facilitator (ToF) Learning Programme', in preparation for the training of clinic committees. This paper explores how the programme had evolved and was experienced by the trained facilitators, in a district in SA. METHODS: We employed a retrospective qualitative case study design, guided by the Illuminative Evaluation Framework, with the training programme in the selected district as the case. The study assessed whether the intended aims of the training programme were clearly conveyed by the trainers, and how participants understood and subsequently conveyed the training programme intentions to the clinic committees. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with trainers and managers, complemented by a review of relevant policy and legislative documents, and published literature. Study participants were purposively selected based on their involvement in the development, facilitation or training of the programme. Thirteen individuals participated in the study, and 23 (national, provincial and partner) documents were reviewed. RESULTS: Despite the different perceptions and understandings of the ToF Learning Programme, its overall aims were achieved. Trainers' capacity was strengthened and clinic committees were trained accordingly. The training programme holds promise for possible national scale-up. The high quality of the interactive posters can be considered equally valuable as a training tool as the training manuals. CONCLUSIONS: Trainers' capacity was strengthened and clinic committees were trained accordingly, despite deviations in implementation of the original training approach and plan.

From Alma-Ata to Astana: the path of Primary Health Care in Portugal, 1978-2018 and the genesis of Family Medicine. / De Alma-Ata a Astana: o percurso dos Cuidados de Saúde Primários em Portugal,1978-2018 e a génese da Medicina Familiar.

Throughout the twentieth century, the profound changes that have taken place in Medicine can only be wholly explained if observed from a historical perspective, for they have always occurred in response to external influences, some scientific and technological, others of a social nature. Modern Family Medicine is one of the many new disciplines that have developed during medical history, and we critically discuss the last 40 years of primary health care in Portugal, which started in 1971, long before the Alma-Ata Declaration (1978). Along the way, in 2005, the Primary Health Care Reform emerges in Portugal, along with the new family health facilities, which until September 2019, attended about 94 % of Portuguese citizens, i.e., 9,5 million people. At the end of this course, in solidarity and voluntarily, this Reform inspired another one in Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro, in 2009. Finally, we present the challenges pointed out in the 2018 Astana Declaration, among them, the issue of the workforce in primary health care as an essential factor for the performance and sustainability of health systems.

Ao longo século XX, as profundas alterações que ocorreram na Medicina apenas podem ser completamente esclarecidas se forem observadas numa perspectiva histórica, pois elas sempre ocorreram em resposta a influências externas, umas científicas e tecnológicas, outras de ordem social. A moderna Medicina Familiar é uma das muitas disciplinas novas que se desenvolveram durante o curso da história da Medicina e aqui debatemos de forma crítica, os últimos 40 anos dos cuidados primários em saúde em Portugal, começando em 1971, mesmo antes da Declaração de Alma-Ata (1978). Ao longo do percurso, em 2005, surge a Reforma dos Cuidados Primários em Saúde em Portugal e as novas unidades de saúde familiar, que até setembro de 2019 atendiam cerca de 94% dos cidadãos portugueses, ou seja, mais de nove milhões e meio de pessoas. No final dessa trajetória, de forma solidária e voluntária, esta Reforma serviu de inspiração para outra, no Brasil, na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, em 2009. Por fim, apresentamos os desafios apontados na Declaração de Astana de 2018, dentre elas, a questão da força de trabalho nos cuidados de saúde primários, como fator essencial para o desempenho e a sustentabilidade dos sistemas de saúde.

De Alma-Ata a Astana: o percurso dos Cuidados de Saúde Primários em Portugal, 1978-2018 e a génese da Medicina Familiar / From Alma-Ata to Astana: the path of Primary Health Care in Portugal, 1978-2018 and the genesis of Family Medicine

Resumo Ao longo século XX, as profundas alterações que ocorreram na Medicina apenas podem ser completamente esclarecidas se forem observadas numa perspectiva histórica, pois elas sempre ocorreram em resposta a influências externas, umas científicas e tecnológicas, outras de ordem social. A moderna Medicina Familiar é uma das muitas disciplinas novas que se desenvolveram durante o curso da história da Medicina e aqui debatemos de forma crítica, os últimos 40 anos dos cuidados primários em saúde em Portugal, começando em 1971, mesmo antes da Declaração de Alma-Ata (1978). Ao longo do percurso, em 2005, surge a Reforma dos Cuidados Primários em Saúde em Portugal e as novas unidades de saúde familiar, que até setembro de 2019 atendiam cerca de 94% dos cidadãos portugueses, ou seja, mais de nove milhões e meio de pessoas. No final dessa trajetória, de forma solidária e voluntária, esta Reforma serviu de inspiração para outra, no Brasil, na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, em 2009. Por fim, apresentamos os desafios apontados na Declaração de Astana de 2018, dentre elas, a questão da força de trabalho nos cuidados de saúde primários, como fator essencial para o desempenho e a sustentabilidade dos sistemas de saúde.

Abstract Throughout the twentieth century, the profound changes that have taken place in Medicine can only be wholly explained if observed from a historical perspective, for they have always occurred in response to external influences, some scientific and technological, others of a social nature. Modern Family Medicine is one of the many new disciplines that have developed during medical history, and we critically discuss the last 40 years of primary health care in Portugal, which started in 1971, long before the Alma-Ata Declaration (1978). Along the way, in 2005, the Primary Health Care Reform emerges in Portugal, along with the new family health facilities, which until September 2019, attended about 94 % of Portuguese citizens, i.e., 9,5 million people. At the end of this course, in solidarity and voluntarily, this Reform inspired another one in Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro, in 2009. Finally, we present the challenges pointed out in the 2018 Astana Declaration, among them, the issue of the workforce in primary health care as an essential factor for the performance and sustainability of health systems.

Federally qualified health centers reduce the primary care provider gap in health professional shortage counties.

BACKGROUND: Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) were designed to provide care in medically underserved areas. Substantial and sustained federal funding has accelerated FQHC growth. PURPOSE: To examine temporal trends in primary care provider supply and whether FQHCs have been successful in reducing the gap in provider supply in primary care health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). METHODS: Retrospective cohort study design using national county-level data from 2009 to 2013. Primary care providers included physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. FINDINGS: Partial-county HPSAs had the highest average provider supply and the greatest increase, followed by non-HPSA counties and whole-county HPSAs. The provider gap was larger in whole-county HPSAs compared with partial-county HPSAs. Counties with one or more FQHC sites had a smaller provider gap than those without FQHC sites. An increase of one FQHC site was statistically significantly associated with a reduction in the annual provider gap. DISCUSSION: FQHCs reduced the gap in primary care provider supply in shortage counties and mitigated uneven distribution of the primary care workforce.

Title X-Funded Health Center Staff Members' Perspectives on Barriers to Insurance Use For Confidential Family Planning Services.

CONTEXT: Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the number of patients who have health insurance among those receiving family planning and reproductive health services at Title X-funded health centers has grown. However, billing some patients' insurance for services may be difficult because of Title X's extensive confidentiality protections. Little is known about health centers' experiences in addressing these difficulties. METHODS: Eight focus group discussions were conducted with a convenience sample of 54 Title X-funded health center staff members and state program administrators in January and April 2015. Transcripts were examined through thematic analysis. RESULTS: Participants identified five key barriers to centers' ability to bill patients' health insurance. Insurance providers' policyholder communications (e.g., explanations of benefits or patient portal postings) can threaten confidentiality for patients insured as dependents. Patients and providers are sometimes confused about insurance providers' confidentiality protections; centers are hesitant to bill insurance when protections are unclear. Changes in Medicaid family planning waiver coverage in some states have added to this uncertainty. Health centers can encounter significant administrative burdens when billing insurance while trying to protect patients' confidentiality. Finally, patients sometimes hesitate to use their insurance because of financial or other concerns. CONCLUSIONS: Title X-funded health centers face several barriers to their ability to bill patients' health insurance while maintaining confidentiality protections. As a result, they are likely to continue relying on Title X funds to cover services for some insured patients despite the expansion of health insurance under the ACA.

Assessing the capacity of Iowa's community health centers to respond to the opportunities and challenges of the Affordable Care Act.

PURPOSE: To determine the current and future capacity of Iowa CHCs as the ACA is implemented. METHODS: We conducted an online survey among executive directors of all 13 Iowa CHCs, asking about current capacity and demand for services, projected increases in capacity and demand, and organizational readiness for change. RESULTS: Our survey response rate was 84.6%. Respondents reported shortages of physicians (72.7%), nurse practitioners (64%) and registered nurses (64%), and most CHCs attempting to recruit physicians (80%) indicated difficulty doing so. All respondents anticipate that the ACA will increase their provider needs and nearly 73% of CHCs anticipate an increase in the size of their patient population. Only 50% of CHCs agree that they have the resources to respond to the ACA's challenges. CONCLUSION: Community health centers are embracing the opportunities before them and are willing to meet the challenges, but resource constraints may limit their ability to do so.

Attitudes about providing HIV care: voices from publicly funded clinics in California.

BACKGROUND: As the enactment of health care reform becomes a reality in the USA, it has been widely predicted that HIV+ patients will increasingly be cared for by primary care physicians (PCPs), many of whom lack the experience to deliver full-spectrum HIV care. OBJECTIVE: To describe PCPs' preparedness for an influx of HIV+ patients. METHODS: This qualitative study included interviews with 20 PCPs from community health centres in California. We inquired about clinicians' experiences with HIV, their strategies for dealing with unfamiliar aspects of medicine and their management of complicated patients. We also identified the clinicians' preferred types of information and consultation resources. RESULTS: PCPs are not yet comfortable as providers of comprehensive HIV care; however, they are dedicated to delivering excellent care to all of their patients, regardless of disease process. Although they prefer to refer HIV+ patients to centres of excellence, they are willing to adopt full responsibility when necessary and believe they can deliver high-quality HIV care if provided with adequate consultation and informational resources. CONCLUSIONS: The Affordable Care Act will insure an estimated 20000 more HIV+ patients in California. With a dwindling supply of HIV specialists, many of these patients will be principally cared for by PCPs. PCPs will go to great lengths to ensure that HIV+ patients receive superior care, but they need the support of HIV specialists to expand their skills. Priority should be given to ensuring that expert consultation is widely available to PCPs who find themselves caring for HIV+ patients.

Consumer governance may harm health center financial performance.

INTRODUCTION: Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), which must be governed by a patient majority, have historically struggled to remain financially viable while caring for a disproportionately low-income and uninsured population. Consumer governance is credited with making FQHCs responsive to community needs, but to the extent that patient trustees resemble the typical low-income FQHC patient, patient trustees might lack the capacity to govern, harming financial performance as a result. Thus, this study sought to empirically evaluate the relationship between FQHC board composition and financial performance. METHODS: Using data from years 2002-2007 of the Uniform Data System and the Area Resource File, and years 2003-2006 of FQHC grant applications, FQHC operating margin was modeled as a function of board and executive committee composition, the interaction between them, general time trends, other FQHC and county-level factors, and FQHC-level fixed effects. Trustees were classified as representative (ie, low-income) consumers, nonrepresentative (ie, high-income) consumers, and nonconsumers on the basis of their self-reported patient status and occupation. RESULTS: Each 10 percentage point increase in the proportion of representative consumers on the board is associated with a 1.7 percentage point decrease in operating margin. This effect becomes insignificant if any consumers serve on the executive committee. There is no significant relationship between the proportion of nonrepresentative consumers and operating margin. CONCLUSIONS: If consumers are given leadership roles on the board, consumer governance does not harm financial performance and may be beneficial enough in other respects to justify its being required as a condition of federal FQHC funding. Without such strengthening of the provision, consumer governance appears to harm financial performance and it is unclear from this study whether it offers other benefits that are significant enough to justify this financial risk.