Political, cultural and economic foundations of primary care in Europe.
Soc Sci Med
; 99: 9-17, 2013 Dec.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24355465
This article explores various contributing factors to explain differences in the strength of the primary care (PC) structure and services delivery across Europe. Data on the strength of primary care in 31 European countries in 2009/10 were used. The results showed that the national political agenda, economy, prevailing values, and type of healthcare system are all important factors that influence the development of strong PC. Wealthier countries are associated with a weaker PC structure and lower PC accessibility, while Eastern European countries seemed to have used their growth in national income to strengthen the accessibility and continuity of PC. Countries governed by left-wing governments are associated with a stronger PC structure, accessibility and coordination of PC. Countries with a social-security based system are associated with a lower accessibility and continuity of PC; the opposite is true for transitional systems. Cultural values seemed to affect all aspects of PC. It can be concluded that strengthening PC means mobilising multiple leverage points, policy options, and political will in line with prevailing values in a country.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Política
/
Atención Primaria de Salud
/
Desarrollo Económico
/
Características Culturales
Tipo de estudio:
Health_economic_evaluation
Aspecto:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Límite:
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Soc Sci Med
Año:
2013
Tipo del documento:
Article
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido