OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of a policy to define priorities for the reform of primary health care services among small areas according to health and social indicators. DESIGN: Qualitative study of the changes in the provision of primary health care services after a priority setting exercise based in social and a health indicators. SETTING: The city of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). PARTICIPANTS: The 66 basic health areas in which the city is divided for health care planning. INTERVENTION: Areas are ranked according to their health and social indicators, giving greater priority to those areas with unfavorable indicators for the development of the reform of primary health care services and a associated allocation of resources. RESULTS: Although at first new investments were determined by preexisting processes based in opportunity criteria, clear changes are observed. Three years after, there are improvements in the provision for services in all priority areas, or they are in the midst of change. CONCLUSIONS: In a context of tightening resources and of resistance to change, it is possible to introduce objective criteria to set priorities to improve primary health care services selectively in areas with most unfavorable indicators. This process has the capacity to overrun obstacles and resistances.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of a policy to define priorities for the reform of primary health care services among small areas according to health and social indicators. DESIGN: Qualitative study of the changes in the provision of primary health care services after a priority setting exercise based in social and a health indicators. SETTING: The city of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). PARTICIPANTS: The 66 basic health areas in which the city is divided for health care planning. INTERVENTION: Areas are ranked according to their health and social indicators, giving greater priority to those areas with unfavorable indicators for the development of the reform of primary health care services and a associated allocation of resources. RESULTS: Although at first new investments were determined by preexisting processes based in opportunity criteria, clear changes are observed. Three years after, there are improvements in the provision for services in all priority areas, or they are in the midst of change. CONCLUSIONS: In a context of tightening resources and of resistance to change, it is possible to introduce objective criteria to set priorities to improve primary health care services selectively in areas with most unfavorable indicators. This process has the capacity to overrun obstacles and resistances.
Authors: Ana M Novoa; Glòria Pérez; Albert Espelt; Cynthia Echave; Patricia G de Olalla; M Jesús Calvo; Maribel Pasarín; Èlia Diez; Carme Borrell; M Jesús Calvo; Berta Cormenzana; Imma Cortés; Èlia Diez; Cynthia Echave; Albert Espelt; Patrícia G de Olalla; Josep Gòmez; Ana M Novoa; Montserrat Pallarès; Glòria Pérez; Maica Rodríguez-Sanz Journal: J Urban Health Date: 2018-10 Impact factor: 3.671
Authors: Ferran Daban; M Isabel Pasarín; Maica Rodríguez-Sanz; Anna García-Altés; Joan R Villalbí; Corinne Zara; Carme Borrell Journal: Int J Equity Health Date: 2010-05-04