Contribution of Primary Care to Health Systems and Health 499
| Citations: | 361 - 16 self |
BibTeX
@MISC{Starfield_contributionof,
author = {Barbara Starfield and Leiyu Shi and James Macinko and B. Starfield and L. Shi and J. Macinko},
title = {Contribution of Primary Care to Health Systems and Health 499},
year = {}
}
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Abstract
Evidence of the health-promoting influence of primary care has been accumu-lating ever since researchers have been able to distinguish primary care from other aspects of the health services delivery system. This evidence shows that primary care helps prevent illness and death, regardless of whether the care is characterized by supply of primary care physicians, a relationship with a source of primary care, or the receipt of important features of primary care. The evi-dence also shows that primary care (in contrast to specialty care) is associated with a more equitable distribution of health in populations, a finding that holds in both cross-national and within-national studies. The means by which primary care improves health have been identified, thus suggesting ways to improve overall health and reduce differences in health across major population subgroups. Key Words: Primary care, health outcomes, population health. The term PRIMARY CARE is thought to date back to about1920, when the Dawson Report was released in the UnitedKingdom. That report, an official “white paper, ” mentioned “primary health care centres, ” intended to become the hub of region-alized services in that country. Although primary care came to be the cornerstone of the health services system in the United Kingdom as well as in many other countries, no comparable focus developed in the United States. Indeed, the formation of one after another specialty board
Keyphrases
primary care health system major population subgroup dawson report overall health population health comparable focus term primary care primary health care centre united kingdom primary care physician within-national study many country region-alized service specialty board important feature health service delivery system health outcome official white paper key word equitable distribution health service system united state health-promoting influence
