Browsing by Author "Car, Josip"
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Item Open Access Developing integration among stakeholders in the primary care networks of Singapore: a qualitative study.(BMC health services research, 2022-06-15) Surendran, Shilpa; Foo, Chuan De; Matchar, David Bruce; Ansah, John Pastor; Car, Josip; Koh, Gerald Choon HuatBackground
Integrating healthcare services across and between the different health system levels can be achieved in a few ways; however, examining the social side of integration is essential and challenging. This paper explores the concept of integration perceived by general practitioners (GPs) and primary care network (PCN) representatives from the regional health systems (RHS) in a GP-RHS PCN and their perceived partnership success.Methods
In this study, we explored three GP-RHS PCNs in Singapore. We used a qualitative research design and, overall, performed 17 semi-structured in-depth interviews with GPs (n = 11) and PCN representatives (n = 6) from the RHS. All interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. We conducted thematic analysis to inductively identify themes from the data. Singer's conceptual model of integration types was used as guiding principles to derive relevant and salient themes for integration.Results
GPs and the RHS perceived the concept of integration through a series of interrelated strategies. Within the normative dimension, a sense of urgency motivated GPs to integrate improvements into their general practice. Participants perceived teamwork and relational climate as appropriate enablers for achieving interpersonal integration in a primary care partnership. While developing a trusted relationship was a perceived success of this partnership across the network, developing camaraderie and gaining knowledge in chronic disease management through the components of functional integration was a perceived success at an individual general practice level. The data also revealed some operational challenges within the structural dimension and some inabilities of the PCN to achieve complete process integration.Conclusions
Our study points to multi-faceted integration, comprising various forms that need to be manifested at all levels of care to achieve coordinated, seamless, and comprehensive care for patients suffering from chronic conditions. The present iteration of the PCN has been shown to offer integration at a level that warrants praise but still requires structural and process integration improvement.Item Open Access Digital health competencies for primary healthcare professionals: A scoping review.(International journal of medical informatics, 2020-11) Jimenez, Geronimo; Spinazze, Pier; Matchar, David; Koh Choon Huat, Gerald; van der Kleij, Rianne MJJ; Chavannes, Niels H; Car, JosipBackground
Despite digital health providing opportunities to enhance the quality, efficiency and safety of primary healthcare, the adoption of digital tools and technologies has been slow, partly because of poor digital health literacy. For primary healthcare systems to take full advantage of these technologies, a capable, digitally literate workforce is necessary. Still, the essential digital health competencies (DHCs) for primary healthcare have not been explored. This review aims to examine the broad literature on DHCs as it applies to Primary Care (PC) settings.Methods
We performed a scoping review on all types of research linking DHCs to PC. We searched all major databases including Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library in November 2019. Concurrently, a thorough grey literature search was performed through OpenGrey, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, and key government and relevant professional associations' websites. Screening and selection of studies was performed in pairs, and data was analysed and presented using a narrative, descriptive approach. Thematic analysis was performed to identify key DHC domains.Results
A total of 28 articles were included, most of them (54 %) published before 2005. These articles were primarily aimed at PC physicians or general practitioners, and focused on improving knowledge about information technologies and medical informatics, basic computer and information literacy, and optimal use of electronic medical records. We identified 17 DHC domains, and important knowledge gaps related to digital health education and curriculum integration, the need for evidence of the impact of services, and the importance of wider support for digital health.Conclusions
Literature explicitly linking DHCs to PC was mostly published over a decade ago. There is a need for an updated and current set of DHCs for PC professionals to more consistently reap the benefits of digital technologies. This review identified key DHC domains and statements that may be used to guide on the development of a set of DHC for PC, and critical knowledge gaps and needs to be considered. Such a DHC set may be used for curricula development and for ensuring that the essential DHC for PC are met at a clinical or organizational level, and eventually improve health outcomes.Item Open Access Mapping 123 million neonatal, infant and child deaths between 2000 and 2017.(Nature, 2019-10-16) Burstein, Roy; Henry, Nathaniel J; Collison, Michael L; Marczak, Laurie B; Sligar, Amber; Watson, Stefanie; Marquez, Neal; Abbasalizad-Farhangi, Mahdieh; Abbasi, Masoumeh; Abd-Allah, Foad; Abdoli, Amir; Abdollahi, Mohammad; Abdollahpour, Ibrahim; Abdulkader, Rizwan Suliankatchi; Abrigo, Michael RM; Acharya, Dilaram; Adebayo, Oladimeji M; Adekanmbi, Victor; Adham, Davoud; Afshari, Mahdi; Aghaali, Mohammad; Ahmadi, Keivan; Ahmadi, Mehdi; Ahmadpour, Ehsan; Ahmed, Rushdia; Akal, Chalachew Genet; Akinyemi, Joshua O; Alahdab, Fares; Alam, Noore; Alamene, Genet Melak; Alene, Kefyalew Addis; Alijanzadeh, Mehran; Alinia, Cyrus; Alipour, Vahid; Aljunid, Syed Mohamed; Almalki, Mohammed J; Al-Mekhlafi, Hesham M; Altirkawi, Khalid; Alvis-Guzman, Nelson; Amegah, Adeladza Kofi; Amini, Saeed; Amit, Arianna Maever Loreche; Anbari, Zohreh; Androudi, Sofia; Anjomshoa, Mina; Ansari, Fereshteh; Antonio, Carl Abelardo T; Arabloo, Jalal; Arefi, Zohreh; Aremu, Olatunde; Armoon, Bahram; Arora, Amit; Artaman, Al; Asadi, Anvar; Asadi-Aliabadi, Mehran; Ashraf-Ganjouei, Amir; Assadi, Reza; Ataeinia, Bahar; Atre, Sachin R; Quintanilla, Beatriz Paulina Ayala; Ayanore, Martin Amogre; Azari, Samad; Babaee, Ebrahim; Babazadeh, Arefeh; Badawi, Alaa; Bagheri, Soghra; Bagherzadeh, Mojtaba; Baheiraei, Nafiseh; Balouchi, Abbas; Barac, Aleksandra; Bassat, Quique; Baune, Bernhard T; Bayati, Mohsen; Bedi, Neeraj; Beghi, Ettore; Behzadifar, Masoud; Behzadifar, Meysam; Belay, Yared Belete; Bell, Brent; Bell, Michelle L; Berbada, Dessalegn Ajema; Bernstein, Robert S; Bhattacharjee, Natalia V; Bhattarai, Suraj; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A; Bijani, Ali; Bohlouli, Somayeh; Breitborde, Nicholas JK; Britton, Gabrielle; Browne, Annie J; Nagaraja, Sharath Burugina; Busse, Reinhard; Butt, Zahid A; Car, Josip; Cárdenas, Rosario; Castañeda-Orjuela, Carlos A; Cerin, Ester; Chanie, Wagaye Fentahun; Chatterjee, Pranab; Chu, Dinh-Toi; Cooper, Cyrus; Costa, Vera M; Dalal, Koustuv; Dandona, Lalit; Dandona, Rakhi; Daoud, Farah; Daryani, Ahmad; Das Gupta, Rajat; Davis, Ian; Davis Weaver, Nicole; Davitoiu, Dragos Virgil; De Neve, Jan-Walter; Demeke, Feleke Mekonnen; Demoz, Gebre Teklemariam; Deribe, Kebede; Desai, Rupak; Deshpande, Aniruddha; Desyibelew, Hanna Demelash; Dey, Sagnik; Dharmaratne, Samath Dhamminda; Dhimal, Meghnath; Diaz, Daniel; Doshmangir, Leila; Duraes, Andre R; Dwyer-Lindgren, Laura; Earl, Lucas; Ebrahimi, Roya; Ebrahimpour, Soheil; Effiong, Andem; Eftekhari, Aziz; Ehsani-Chimeh, Elham; El Sayed, Iman; El Sayed Zaki, Maysaa; El Tantawi, Maha; El-Khatib, Ziad; Emamian, Mohammad Hassan; Enany, Shymaa; Eskandarieh, Sharareh; Eyawo, Oghenowede; Ezalarab, Maha; Faramarzi, Mahbobeh; Fareed, Mohammad; Faridnia, Roghiyeh; Faro, Andre; Fazaeli, Ali Akbar; Fazlzadeh, Mehdi; Fentahun, Netsanet; Fereshtehnejad, Seyed-Mohammad; Fernandes, João C; Filip, Irina; Fischer, Florian; Foigt, Nataliya A; Foroutan, Masoud; Francis, Joel Msafiri; Fukumoto, Takeshi; Fullman, Nancy; Gallus, Silvano; Gebre, Destallem Gebremedhin; Gebrehiwot, Tsegaye Tewelde; Gebremeskel, Gebreamlak Gebremedhn; Gessner, Bradford D; Geta, Birhanu; Gething, Peter W; Ghadimi, Reza; Ghadiri, Keyghobad; Ghajarzadeh, Mahsa; Ghashghaee, Ahmad; Gill, Paramjit Singh; Gill, Tiffany K; Golding, Nick; Gomes, Nelson GM; Gona, Philimon N; Gopalani, Sameer Vali; Gorini, Giuseppe; Goulart, Bárbara Niegia Garcia; Graetz, Nicholas; Greaves, Felix; Green, Manfred S; Guo, Yuming; Haj-Mirzaian, Arvin; Haj-Mirzaian, Arya; Hall, Brian James; Hamidi, Samer; Haririan, Hamidreza; Haro, Josep Maria; Hasankhani, Milad; Hasanpoor, Edris; Hasanzadeh, Amir; Hassankhani, Hadi; Hassen, Hamid Yimam; Hegazy, Mohamed I; Hendrie, Delia; Heydarpour, Fatemeh; Hird, Thomas R; Hoang, Chi Linh; Hollerich, Gillian; Rad, Enayatollah Homaie; Hoseini-Ghahfarokhi, Mojtaba; Hossain, Naznin; Hosseini, Mostafa; Hosseinzadeh, Mehdi; Hostiuc, Mihaela; Hostiuc, Sorin; Househ, Mowafa; Hsairi, Mohamed; Ilesanmi, Olayinka Stephen; Imani-Nasab, Mohammad Hasan; Iqbal, Usman; Irvani, Seyed Sina Naghibi; Islam, Nazrul; Islam, Sheikh Mohammed Shariful; Jürisson, Mikk; Balalami, Nader Jafari; Jalali, Amir; Javidnia, Javad; Jayatilleke, Achala Upendra; Jenabi, Ensiyeh; Ji, John S; Jobanputra, Yash B; Johnson, Kimberly; Jonas, Jost B; Shushtari, Zahra Jorjoran; Jozwiak, Jacek Jerzy; Kabir, Ali; Kahsay, Amaha; Kalani, Hamed; Kalhor, Rohollah; Karami, Manoochehr; Karki, Surendra; Kasaeian, Amir; Kassebaum, Nicholas J; Keiyoro, Peter Njenga; Kemp, Grant Rodgers; Khabiri, Roghayeh; Khader, Yousef Saleh; Khafaie, Morteza Abdullatif; Khan, Ejaz Ahmad; Khan, Junaid; Khan, Muhammad Shahzeb; Khang, Young-Ho; Khatab, Khaled; Khater, Amir; Khater, Mona M; Khatony, Alireza; Khazaei, Mohammad; Khazaei, Salman; Khazaei-Pool, Maryam; Khubchandani, Jagdish; Kianipour, Neda; Kim, Yun Jin; Kimokoti, Ruth W; Kinyoki, Damaris K; Kisa, Adnan; Kisa, Sezer; Kolola, Tufa; Kosen, Soewarta; Koul, Parvaiz A; Koyanagi, Ai; Kraemer, Moritz UG; Krishan, Kewal; Krohn, Kris J; Kugbey, Nuworza; Kumar, G Anil; Kumar, Manasi; Kumar, Pushpendra; Kuupiel, Desmond; Lacey, Ben; Lad, Sheetal D; Lami, Faris Hasan; Larsson, Anders O; Lee, Paul H; Leili, Mostafa; Levine, Aubrey J; Li, Shanshan; Lim, Lee-Ling; Listl, Stefan; Longbottom, Joshua; Lopez, Jaifred Christian F; Lorkowski, Stefan; Magdeldin, Sameh; Abd El Razek, Hassan Magdy; Abd El Razek, Muhammed Magdy; Majeed, Azeem; Maleki, Afshin; Malekzadeh, Reza; Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Mamun, Abdullah A; Manafi, Navid; Manda, Ana-Laura; Mansourian, Morteza; Martins-Melo, Francisco Rogerlândio; Masaka, Anthony; Massenburg, Benjamin Ballard; Maulik, Pallab K; Mayala, Benjamin K; Mazidi, Mohsen; McKee, Martin; Mehrotra, Ravi; Mehta, Kala M; Meles, Gebrekiros Gebremichael; Mendoza, Walter; Menezes, Ritesh G; Meretoja, Atte; Meretoja, Tuomo J; Mestrovic, Tomislav; Miller, Ted R; Miller-Petrie, Molly K; Mills, Edward J; Milne, George J; Mini, GK; Mir, Seyed Mostafa; Mirjalali, Hamed; Mirrakhimov, Erkin M; Mohamadi, Efat; Mohammad, Dara K; Mohammad, Dara K; Darwesh, Aso Mohammad; Mezerji, Naser Mohammad Gholi; Mohammed, Ammas Siraj; Mohammed, Shafiu; Mokdad, Ali H; Molokhia, Mariam; Monasta, Lorenzo; Moodley, Yoshan; Moosazadeh, Mahmood; Moradi, Ghobad; Moradi, Masoud; Moradi, Yousef; Moradi-Lakeh, Maziar; Moradinazar, Mehdi; Moraga, Paula; Morawska, Lidia; Mosapour, Abbas; Mousavi, Seyyed Meysam; Mueller, Ulrich Otto; Muluneh, Atalay Goshu; Mustafa, Ghulam; Nabavizadeh, Behnam; Naderi, Mehdi; Nagarajan, Ahamarshan Jayaraman; Nahvijou, Azin; Najafi, Farid; Nangia, Vinay; Ndwandwe, Duduzile Edith; Neamati, Nahid; Negoi, Ionut; Negoi, Ruxandra Irina; Ngunjiri, Josephine W; Thi Nguyen, Huong Lan; Nguyen, Long Hoang; Nguyen, Son Hoang; Nielsen, Katie R; Ningrum, Dina Nur Anggraini; Nirayo, Yirga Legesse; Nixon, Molly R; Nnaji, Chukwudi A; Nojomi, Marzieh; Noroozi, Mehdi; Nosratnejad, Shirin; Noubiap, Jean Jacques; Motlagh, Soraya Nouraei; Ofori-Asenso, Richard; Ogbo, Felix Akpojene; Oladimeji, Kelechi E; Olagunju, Andrew T; Olfatifar, Meysam; Olum, Solomon; Olusanya, Bolajoko Olubukunola; Oluwasanu, Mojisola Morenike; Onwujekwe, Obinna E; Oren, Eyal; Ortega-Altamirano, Doris DV; Ortiz, Alberto; Osarenotor, Osayomwanbo; Osei, Frank B; Osgood-Zimmerman, Aaron E; Otstavnov, Stanislav S; Owolabi, Mayowa Ojo; P A, Mahesh; Pagheh, Abdol Sattar; Pakhale, Smita; Panda-Jonas, Songhomitra; Pandey, Animika; Park, Eun-Kee; Parsian, Hadi; Pashaei, Tahereh; Patel, Sangram Kishor; Pepito, Veincent Christian Filipino; Pereira, Alexandre; Perkins, Samantha; Pickering, Brandon V; Pilgrim, Thomas; Pirestani, Majid; Piroozi, Bakhtiar; Pirsaheb, Meghdad; Plana-Ripoll, Oleguer; Pourjafar, Hadi; Puri, Parul; Qorbani, Mostafa; Quintana, Hedley; Rabiee, Mohammad; Rabiee, Navid; Radfar, Amir; Rafiei, Alireza; Rahim, Fakher; Rahimi, Zohreh; Rahimi-Movaghar, Vafa; Rahimzadeh, Shadi; Rajati, Fatemeh; Raju, Sree Bhushan; Ramezankhani, Azra; Ranabhat, Chhabi Lal; Rasella, Davide; Rashedi, Vahid; Rawal, Lal; Reiner, Robert C; Renzaho, Andre MN; Rezaei, Satar; Rezapour, Aziz; Riahi, Seyed Mohammad; Ribeiro, Ana Isabel; Roever, Leonardo; Roro, Elias Merdassa; Roser, Max; Roshandel, Gholamreza; Roshani, Daem; Rostami, Ali; Rubagotti, Enrico; Rubino, Salvatore; Sabour, Siamak; Sadat, Nafis; Sadeghi, Ehsan; Saeedi, Reza; Safari, Yahya; Safari-Faramani, Roya; Safdarian, Mahdi; Sahebkar, Amirhossein; Salahshoor, Mohammad Reza; Salam, Nasir; Salamati, Payman; Salehi, Farkhonde; Zahabi, Saleh Salehi; Salimi, Yahya; Salimzadeh, Hamideh; Salomon, Joshua A; Sambala, Evanson Zondani; Samy, Abdallah M; Santric Milicevic, Milena M; Jose, Bruno Piassi Sao; Saraswathy, Sivan Yegnanarayana Iyer; Sarmiento-Suárez, Rodrigo; Sartorius, Benn; Sathian, Brijesh; Saxena, Sonia; Sbarra, Alyssa N; Schaeffer, Lauren E; Schwebel, David C; Sepanlou, Sadaf G; Seyedmousavi, Seyedmojtaba; Shaahmadi, Faramarz; Shaikh, Masood Ali; Shams-Beyranvand, Mehran; Shamshirian, Amir; Shamsizadeh, Morteza; Sharafi, Kiomars; Sharif, Mehdi; Sharif-Alhoseini, Mahdi; Sharifi, Hamid; Sharma, Jayendra; Sharma, Rajesh; Sheikh, Aziz; Shields, Chloe; Shigematsu, Mika; Shiri, Rahman; Shiue, Ivy; Shuval, Kerem; Siddiqi, Tariq J; Silva, João Pedro; Singh, Jasvinder A; Sinha, Dhirendra Narain; Sisay, Malede Mequanent; Sisay, Solomon; Sliwa, Karen; Smith, David L; Somayaji, Ranjani; Soofi, Moslem; Soriano, Joan B; Sreeramareddy, Chandrashekhar T; Sudaryanto, Agus; Sufiyan, Mu'awiyyah Babale; Sykes, Bryan L; Sylaja, PN; Tabarés-Seisdedos, Rafael; Tabb, Karen M; Tabuchi, Takahiro; Taveira, Nuno; Temsah, Mohamad-Hani; Terkawi, Abdullah Sulieman; Tessema, Zemenu Tadesse; Thankappan, Kavumpurathu Raman; Thirunavukkarasu, Sathish; To, Quyen G; Tovani-Palone, Marcos Roberto; Tran, Bach Xuan; Tran, Khanh Bao; Ullah, Irfan; Usman, Muhammad Shariq; Uthman, Olalekan A; Vahedian-Azimi, Amir; Valdez, Pascual R; van Boven, Job FM; Vasankari, Tommi Juhani; Vasseghian, Yasser; Veisani, Yousef; Venketasubramanian, Narayanaswamy; Violante, Francesco S; Vladimirov, Sergey Konstantinovitch; Vlassov, Vasily; Vos, Theo; Vu, Giang Thu; Vujcic, Isidora S; Waheed, Yasir; Wakefield, Jon; Wang, Haidong; Wang, Yafeng; Wang, Yuan-Pang; Ward, Joseph L; Weintraub, Robert G; Weldegwergs, Kidu Gidey; Weldesamuel, Girmay Teklay; Westerman, Ronny; Wiysonge, Charles Shey; Wondafrash, Dawit Zewdu; Woyczynski, Lauren; Wu, Ai-Min; Xu, Gelin; Yadegar, Abbas; Yamada, Tomohide; Yazdi-Feyzabadi, Vahid; Yilgwan, Christopher Sabo; Yip, Paul; Yonemoto, Naohiro; Lebni, Javad Yoosefi; Younis, Mustafa Z; Yousefifard, Mahmoud; Yousof, Hebat-Allah Salah A; Yu, Chuanhua; Yusefzadeh, Hasan; Zabeh, Erfan; Moghadam, Telma Zahirian; Bin Zaman, Sojib; Zamani, Mohammad; Zandian, Hamed; Zangeneh, Alireza; Zerfu, Taddese Alemu; Zhang, Yunquan; Ziapour, Arash; Zodpey, Sanjay; Murray, Christopher JL; Hay, Simon ISince 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2-to end preventable child deaths by 2030-we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000-2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that had attained rates of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births by 2017, and that 58% of child deaths between 2000 and 2017 in these countries could have been averted in the absence of geographical inequality. This study enables the identification of high-mortality clusters, patterns of progress and geographical inequalities to inform appropriate investments and implementations that will help to improve the health of all populations.Item Open Access Multicomponent interventions for enhancing primary care: a systematic review.(The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2021-01) Jimenez, Geronimo; Matchar, David; Koh, Gerald Choon-Huat; Car, JosipBackground
Many countries have implemented interventions to enhance primary care to strengthen their health systems. These programmes vary widely in features included and their impact on outcomes.Aim
To identify multiple-feature interventions aimed at enhancing primary care and their effects on measures of system success - that is, population health, healthcare costs and utilisation, patient satisfaction, and provider satisfaction (quadruple-aim outcomes).Design and setting
Systematic review and narrative synthesis.Method
Electronic, manual, and grey-literature searches were performed for articles describing multicomponent primary care interventions, providing details of their innovation features, relationship to the '4Cs' (first contact, comprehensiveness, coordination, and continuity), and impact on quadruple-aim outcomes. After abstract and full-text screening, articles were selected and their quality appraised. Results were synthesised in a narrative form.Results
From 37 included articles, most interventions aimed to improve access, enhance incentives for providers, provide team-based care, and introduce technologies. The most consistent improvements related to increased primary care visits and screening/preventive services, and improved patient and provider satisfaction; mixed results were found for hospital admissions, emergency department visits, and expenditures. The available data were not sufficient to link interventions, achievement of the 4Cs, and outcomes.Conclusion
Most analysed interventions improved some aspects of primary care while, simultaneously, producing non-statistically significant impacts, depending on the features of the interventions, the measured outcome(s), and the populations being studied. A critical research gap was revealed, namely, in terms of which intervention features to enhance primary care (alone or in combination) produce the most consistent benefits.Item Open Access Perceived facilitators and barriers to chronic disease management in primary care networks of Singapore: a qualitative study.(BMJ open, 2021-05-04) Foo, Chuan De; Surendran, Shilpa; Tam, Chen Hee; Ho, Elaine; Matchar, David Bruce; Car, Josip; Koh, Gerald Choon HuatObjective
The increasing chronic disease burden has placed tremendous strain on tertiary healthcare resources in most countries, necessitating a shift in chronic disease management from tertiary to primary care providers. The Primary Care Network (PCN) policy was promulgated as a model of care to organise private general practitioners (GPs) into groups to provide GPs with resources to anchor patients with chronic conditions with them in the community. As PCN is still in its embryonic stages, there is a void in research regarding its ability to empower GPs to manage patients with chronic conditions effectively. This qualitative study aims to explore the facilitators and barriers for the management of patients with chronic conditions by GPs enrolled in PCN.Design
We conducted 30 semistructured interviews with GPs enrolled in a PCN followed by a thematic analysis of audio transcripts until data saturation was achieved.Setting
Singapore.Results
Our results suggest that PCNs facilitated GPs to more effectively manage patients through (1) provision of ancillary services such as diabetic foot screening, diabetic retinal photography and nurse counselling to permit a 'one-stop-shop', (2) systematic monitoring of process and clinical outcome indicators through a chronic disease registry (CDR) to promote accountability for patients' health outcomes and (3) funding streams for PCNs to hire additional manpower to oversee operations and to reimburse GPs for extended consultations. Barriers include high administrative load in maintaining the CDR due to the lack of a smart electronic clinic management system and financial gradient faced by patients seeking services from private GPs which incur higher out-of-pocket expenses than public primary healthcare institutions.Conclusion
PCNs demonstrate great promise in empowering enrolled GPs to manage patients with chronic conditions. However, barriers will need to be addressed to ensure the viability of PCNs in managing more patients in the face of an ageing population.Item Open Access Reply to Ngoh et al. Comment on "Surendran et al. The Missed Opportunity of Patient-Centered Medical Homes to Thrive in an Asian Context. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1817".(International journal of environmental research and public health, 2022-04-13) Surendran, Shilpa; Foo, Chuan De; Tam, Chen Hee; Ho, Elaine Qiao Ying; Matchar, David Bruce; Car, Josip; Koh, Gerald Choon HuatWe carefully read the comment [...].Item Open Access Revisiting the four core functions (4Cs) of primary care: Operational definitions and complexities(Primary Health Care Research and Development, 2021-11-10) Jimenez, Geronimo; Matchar, David; Koh, Gerald Choon Huat; Tyagi, Shilpa; van der Kleij, Rianne MJJ; Chavannes, Niels H; Car, JosipBackground: The four primary care (PC) core functions (the '4Cs', ie, first contact, comprehensiveness, coordination and continuity) are essential for good quality primary healthcare and their achievement leads to lower costs, less inequality and better population health. However, their broad definitions have led to variations in their assessment, in the innovations implemented to improve these functions and ultimately in their performance. Objectives: To update and operationalise the 4Cs' definitions by using a literature review and analysis of enhancement strategies, and to identify innovations that may lead to their enhancement. Methods: Narrative, descriptive analysis of the 4Cs definitions, coming from PC international reports and organisations, to identify measurable features for each of these functions. Additionally, we performed an electronic search and analysis of enhancement strategies to improve these four Cs, to explore how the 4Cs inter-relate. Results: Specific operational elements for first contact include modality of contact, and conditions for which PC should be approached; for comprehensiveness, scope of services and spectrum of population needs; for coordination, links between PC and higher levels of care and social/community-based services, and workforce managing transitions and for continuity, type, level and context of continuity. Several innovations like enrolment, digital health technologies and new or enhanced PC provider's roles, simultaneously influenced two or more of the 4Cs. Conclusion: Providing clear, well-defined operational elements for these 4Cs to measure their achievement and improve the way they function, and identifying the complex network of interactions among them, should contribute to the field in a way that supports efforts at practice innovation to optimise the processes and outcomes in PC.Item Open Access The Missed Opportunity of Patient-Centered Medical Homes to Thrive in an Asian Context.(International journal of environmental research and public health, 2021-02-13) Surendran, Shilpa; Foo, Chuan De; Tam, Chen Hee; Ho, Elaine Qiao Ying; Matchar, David Bruce; Car, Josip; Koh, Gerald Choon HuatIn recent years, there is growing interest internationally to implement patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), and Singapore is no exception. However, studies understanding the influence of contextual policy factors on the implementation of PCMHs are limited. We conducted 10 semi-structured in-depth interviews with general practitioners working in seven out of the nine PCMHs. Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed by two study team members in NVivo 12 Software using grounded theory techniques. Power dynamics between the stakeholders and lack of shared decision-making among them in selecting the locale of the PCMH and formulating the practice fee and pharmacy structure were the key factors which negatively affected the implementation of PCMHs on a larger scale. Over time, lack of funding to hire dedicated staff to transfer patients and misalignment of various stakeholders' interest to other right-siting programs also resulted in low number of patients with chronic conditions and revenue. Countries seeking to implement a successful PCMH may benefit from building trust and relationship between stakeholders, engaging in shared decision-making, ongoing cost-efficiency efforts, and formulating a clear delineation of responsibilities between stakeholders. For a healthcare delivery model to succeed in the primary care landscape, policies should be developed keeping mind the realities of primary care practice.Item Open Access The Role of Health Technologies in Multicomponent Primary Care Interventions: Systematic Review (Preprint)Jimenez, Geronimo; Matchar, David; Koh, Choon Huat Gerald; van der Kleij, Rianne; Chavannes, Niels H; Car, JosipBACKGROUNDSeveral countries around the world have implemented multicomponent interventions to enhance primary care, as a way of strengthening their health systems to cope with an aging chronically ill population and rising costs. Some of these efforts have included technology-based enhancements as one of the features to support the overall intervention, but their details and impacts have not been explored.
OBJECTIVEThis study aimed to identify the role of digital/health technologies within wider multifeature interventions that are aimed at enhancing primary care, and to describe their aims and stakeholders, types of technologies used, and potential impacts.
METHODSA systematic review was performed following Cochrane guidelines. An electronic search, conducted on May 30, 2019, was supplemented with manual and grey literature searches in December 2019, to identify multicomponent interventions that included at least one technology-based enhancement. After title/abstract and full text screening, selected articles were assessed for quality based on their study design. A descriptive narrative synthesis was used for analysis and presentation of the results.
RESULTSOf 37 articles, 14 (38%) described the inclusion of a technology-based innovation as part of their multicomponent interventions to enhance primary care. The most commonly identified technologies were the use of electronic health records, data monitoring technologies, and online portals with messaging platforms. The most common aim of these technologies was to improve continuity of care and comprehensiveness, which resulted in increased patient satisfaction, increased primary care visits compared to specialist visits, and the provision of more health prevention education and improved prescribing practices. Technologies seem also to increase costs and utilization for some parameters, such as increased consultation costs and increased number of drugs prescribed.
CONCLUSIONSTechnologies and digital health have not played a major role within comprehensive innovation efforts aimed at enhancing primary care, reflecting that these technologies have not yet reached maturity or wider acceptance as a means for improving primary care. Stronger policy and financial support, and advocacy of key stakeholders are needed to encourage the introduction of efficient technological innovations, which are backed by evidence-based research, so that digital technologies can fulfill the promise of supporting strong sustainable primary care.
Item Open Access The Role of Health Technologies in Multicomponent Primary Care Interventions: Systematic Review.(Journal of medical Internet research, 2021-01-11) Jimenez, Geronimo; Matchar, David; Koh, Choon Huat Gerald; van der Kleij, Rianne; Chavannes, Niels H; Car, JosipBackground
Several countries around the world have implemented multicomponent interventions to enhance primary care, as a way of strengthening their health systems to cope with an aging chronically ill population and rising costs. Some of these efforts have included technology-based enhancements as one of the features to support the overall intervention, but their details and impacts have not been explored.Objective
This study aimed to identify the role of digital/health technologies within wider multifeature interventions that are aimed at enhancing primary care, and to describe their aims and stakeholders, types of technologies used, and potential impacts.Methods
A systematic review was performed following Cochrane guidelines. An electronic search, conducted on May 30, 2019, was supplemented with manual and grey literature searches in December 2019, to identify multicomponent interventions that included at least one technology-based enhancement. After title/abstract and full text screening, selected articles were assessed for quality based on their study design. A descriptive narrative synthesis was used for analysis and presentation of the results.Results
Of 37 articles, 14 (38%) described the inclusion of a technology-based innovation as part of their multicomponent interventions to enhance primary care. The most commonly identified technologies were the use of electronic health records, data monitoring technologies, and online portals with messaging platforms. The most common aim of these technologies was to improve continuity of care and comprehensiveness, which resulted in increased patient satisfaction, increased primary care visits compared to specialist visits, and the provision of more health prevention education and improved prescribing practices. Technologies seem also to increase costs and utilization for some parameters, such as increased consultation costs and increased number of drugs prescribed.Conclusions
Technologies and digital health have not played a major role within comprehensive innovation efforts aimed at enhancing primary care, reflecting that these technologies have not yet reached maturity or wider acceptance as a means for improving primary care. Stronger policy and financial support, and advocacy of key stakeholders are needed to encourage the introduction of efficient technological innovations, which are backed by evidence-based research, so that digital technologies can fulfill the promise of supporting strong sustainable primary care.