Component Of Primary Health Care Research Articles

Primary health care in public health nursing.

Despite similarities between the goals of primary health care and public health nursing, several obstacles stand in the way of public health nursing's ability to perform its role in achieving an acceptable level of health for all by the year 2000. The purpose of this paper is to describe the essential components of primary health care and public health nursing, discuss obstacles in the way of public health nursing fulfilling its primary health care role, and to pose solutions at the levels of education, practice, and research for overcoming these obstacles.

Early Detection of Breast Cancer

Timely, comprehensive screening for breast cancer is a major, though often overlooked, component of primary health care for women. This article reviews the scientific rationale for screening and outlines the current recommendations of the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force regarding the use of mammography, clinical breast examination (CBE), and breast self-examination (BSE). Nursing interventions to decrease barriers to effective screening are discussed, and an expanded role of nurses in breast cancer screening is proposed.

An evaluation of the effectiveness of itinerant and community physiotherapy schemes in meeting the primary health care needs in Oyo State, Nigeria

The relative effectiveness of itinerant and community physiotherapy services as primary health care (PHC) schemes was assessed with regard to the attention given to promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative needs (which are the components of PHC) of the rural dwellers of Oyo State, Nigeria. The availability and accessibility of the schemes were also evaluated. It was found that the two schemes were effective in taking physiotherapy services to the rural communities. The community physiotherapy service was found to be apparently more effective both in meeting the health care needs of the rural populace and in terms of total number of patients that benefited. However, the difference in the treatment times of each scheme was not statistically significant (p>0.05) though the difference in the number of patients that benefited from the schemes was (p<0.05).

Planning PHC for a community: a baseline survey provides essential data.

Lagos University Teaching Hospital is developing a primary health care (PHC) system for a 50 km square rural area of Ogun State, southwest nigeria. The 1st step in 1984, was to carry out a baseline sample survey of the area. The survey was designed to provide basic demographic, socioeconomic, health status and health practices data. The data was to be used to plan services, set objectives, guide service delivery and provide a baseline for evaluation. The findings of the survey proved extremely useful for planning, and also provided a number of surprises. Health education is an important component of PHC. Hence the extent of female illiteracy as shown by the survey, 78%, was deeply distrubing. The survey revealed that self-medication, including use of antibiotics, was practiced on a greater scale than anticipated. The survey showed a very low immunization status among pre-school children: less than 5% were fully immunized. They had a relatively poor nutritional status also: 36% were below the WHO reference standard. Modern contraceptive prevalence rates, among women in the reproductive age group, were 0. There were severe difficulties with water supply, less than 10% of the population having access to potable water. The average water use per person per day was 8 liters. All these findings, and others not here described, have permitted the setting of appropriate and feasible service objectives, and will permit subsequent monitoring and evaluation of program activities.

Selective intervention in primary health care: planning and practical implications in Nigeria.

The global goal of Health-For-All is an ideal: yet, its planning and implementation could be enhanced through the application of the concept of selective primary health care. The strategy advocates the selection of certain priority components of primary health care (PHC) as entry-points. This would match with the sub-objectives of removing technological, economic and developmental constraints. A model which illustrates the three levels of prevention--primary, secondary, and tertiary, is offered. The application of the model to Primary Health Care, coupled with practical examples in the field, and their relevance to health development in Nigeria, are examined.

The Demand for Primary Health Care Services in the Bicol Region of the Philippines

Mortality is assumed to be strongly reduced by medical care however the effects of medical services on health are often underestimated because some of the same factors which lead to an increased demand for primary health care (PHC) services are also associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Consequently understanding the determinants of the demand for medical services is important for evaluating health outcomes. This paper estimates the parameters of a simple model of the demand for health services using data from the Bicol Multipurpose Survey data from the Philippines. The parameters of the demand for key components of PHC--outpatient prenatal delivery well-child and infant immunizations--are estimated. Findings suggest that the quality of the care may be very important but that economic factors as deterrents to using medical care--inaccessibility cash costs and lack of income--may not be of paramount importance. Finally it is shown that the provision of free services in rural areas may not insure that the services reach the poorest people. (authors modified)

Water supply and health in developing countries: selective primary health care revisited.

The inclusion of water supply and sanitation programs as a component of primary health care (PHC) has been questioned on the basis of calculations of the costs of these programs per infant death averted. In this paper the procedures used in these cost-effectiveness calculations are examined and found to be wanting. The calculations are misleading since gross rather than net costs have been used, and the health impact of these programs underestimated. It is also shown that the methodology used is biased against water supply and sanitation and other programs with multiple outputs. The time constraints facing mothers in implementing PHC programs, as well as the contribution of improved water supplies in alleviating these constraints are outlined. Data are presented to show that, if poor women in developing countries were to choose the mix of activities to be included in PHC programs, improved water supplies would frequently constitute part of that mix.

Self-medication: an important aspect of primary health care.

The main objective of this study was to determine the degree to which individuals practised self-medication in relation to their educational status. Kalutara, a small town in Sri-Lanka is semi-urban and has a good mixture of literates and illiterates. Important findings include the fact that knowledge of drugs was grossly inadequate, literates self-medicated far more than illiterates and a high percentage of the total sample population by-passed other health personnel in preference for Western trained doctors. Self-medication, though desirable, can be dangerous and should be emphasized as a component of primary health care because (i) it is commonly practised even where health professionals are easily accessible, (ii) it encourages self-reliance for curative, preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care and (iii) literacy, which seems to enhance its practice, is increasing worldwide.

The self-help component of primary health care

The self-help component of primary health care

The self-help component of primary health care

The target of "health for all by 2000," to be achieved through primary health care, is discussed. The author states that the goal entails reorganization of health care and community participation at the local level. Self-help groups are proposed as an effective and efficient vehicle for participation by the people in their own health care, and the strong points of such groups, including emotional and psychological support, and orientation toward action and progress, are described. Another major feature is that participants become their own health care personnel, achieving some expertise in the management of their particular illness or disability. Clubs for hypertensives, wherein participants learn to monitor and control their blood pressure, are used as an example of the self-help group. The author suggests that self-help could be a basic component of primary health care, and contribute to "health for all."