Comprehensive primary health care in local communities

Comprehensive primary health care in local communities (CPHC)

The South Australian Community Health Research Unit (SACHRU), in collaboration with other South Australian, interstate and international investigators, is conducting a five year project funded by the Health and Medical Research Council to examine ways to assess the effectiveness of Comprehensive Primary Health Care in local communities.

This research will study models of Comprehensive Primary Health Care services in South Australia and the Northern Territory . It will examine where these services are doing well, and what barriers and challenges they face.

CPHC Newsletters

Newsletter #1 - November 2009

Newsletter #2 - June 2010

Project team

South Australian Community Health Research Unit:

University of Ottawa: Prof Ronald Labonte ,
University of the Western Cape, South Africa: Prof David Sanders
La Trobe University: A/Prof David Legge

Associate Investigators:

Flinders University : A/Prof Frank Tesoriero , Dr Anna Ziersch , Prof Malcolm Battersby
SACHRU: Ms Catherine Hurley
Aboriginal Health Council of SA/University of Adelaide : Dr David Scrimgeour ,
Central Australian Aboriginal Congress: Ms Stephanie Bell, Dr John Boffa
SHine SA: Ms Kaisu Vartto
Primary Health Care Services: Ms Louise Miller Frost,
Endocrinology Unit, North West Adelaide Health Service: Dr Pat Phillips
Southern Primary Health - Inner Southern: Ms Cheryl Wright

Participating sites

Southern Primary Health Care - Inner Southern
Port Adelaide Primary Health Care Services
Playford Primary Health Care Services
SHine SA, Woodville
Central Australian Aboriginal Congress
Aboriginal Health Team, Southern Adelaide Health Services

Research Overview

Stage 1: Development of a program logic and evaluation framework for Comprehensive Primary Health Care. (2009 - mid-2010). The program logic will articulate how and why Comprehensive Primary Health Care services are likely to lead to improved individual and population health outcomes. The model will be informed by interviews and workshops with funders, practitioners, and the community, and will be based on Comprehensive Primary Health Care theory and values.

Stage 2: Case studies of Primary Health Care services. (2010 - 2013). The program logic models developed in Stage 1 will be used to investigate how services are delivered and their effectiveness at the six case study sites. The project will focus on two key, pressing health conditions: diabetes and depression. These conditions were chosen after consultation with key stakeholders, including case study site managers. The project will examine where the services are contributing to individual and population health outcomes, and what barriers and challenges are faced by the services.

Stage 3: Analysis. The analysis will tie the various aspects of the results into a coherent story about success factors in Comprehensive Primary Health Care in the case study sites.

End of Year One Project Update May 2010

This project is a 5 year project which began in May 2009. May 2010 therefore marks the end of the first year of the project.

The aims of the first year of the project were to engage managers and staff at the six case study sites, and to develop up a program logic model for each site, as well as an overall program logic model. These models would then form the basis of the evaluation plans for the future years of the project.

The research team has visited each site to introduce the project, and has conducted a total of 60 interviews with managers, staff, regional health executives, and SA Health funders. A Memorandum of Understanding between Flinders University and the case study sites has been drafted and agreed to by health service managers and regional health executives. This Memorandum of Understanding will ensure that project stakeholders have a common understanding of the project, and that the project progresses smoothly and remains relevant and useful to the health services.

Site-specific program logic model workshops have been conducted at most of the case study sites, producing valuable discussions and outputs on issues key to Comprehensive Primary Health Care. Work on the overarching program logic model for best practice Comprehensive Primary Health Care has also begun, with one workshop with stakeholders taking place in February 2010.

We have also conducted the first of what will be a six-monthly audit of each health service to monitor changes in resourcing, focus, activities, policies, or structures. This audit will inform elements of the program logic model for each site and also ensure the project stays up to date and relevant to current practice and policy.

Next Steps

Further interview analysis will be conducted and the site specific and generic program logic models will be finalised over the next few months. Models will be developed in an iterative process in collaboration with managers and staff from each health service site. Planning is underway for the first research symposium to be held on 20th and 21st October 2010 to feed back and discuss emerging findings.

The second stage of the project will involve development of evaluation frameworks for diabetes and depression, community and user assessments of PHC service sites and a second round of interviews with stakeholders.

GP Adjunct Study

An associated project has been established to examine the links between primary health care services and general practitioners. More information here.

Who to contact

If you would like to find out more about this project, or have any comments or questions, please contact Toby Freeman (Project manager):

ph: (08) 7221 8468

email: toby.freeman@flinders.edu.au