No abstract available. / Thesis (M.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007.

This study by an expanded primary health care team suggests that as a method of needs assessment rapid appraisal has a number of benefits and constraints. Major benefits include that it brings a community orientation to primary care; it is community participative; it is multi-sectoral and promotes networking; it promotes equity; as an action research method it facilitates change and that it can be satisfying to carry out. Major constraints include the possibility of researcher bias; that training is necessary for interviewing and understanding the method; that the results are not generalisable; that little health service data is produced; that only "proportionate accuracy" is obtained and that it can only be applied to a "community" in some sense of that word. The other methods highlighted shortcomings of using rapid appraisal as a sole means of health needs assessment. Each method yielded particular insights into both health and health care needs. A method mix is likely to give the most comprehensive picture. Rapid appraisal offers a practical way of involving local people in decision making about their health services and as an action research method facilitates change. As a training process it promotes the attitudes and skills which professionals need to work effectively in the community. Its value will depend on whether the data it generates is seen to be of use for purposes of resource allocation and community participation. At worst it has the potential to be a misused tool to collect poor information for supporting poor decisions. At best, it has the potential to give substance to the rhetoric of community participation by providing tools, techniques and data useful to planners and the public to be co-producers of health.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2002. / Includes tables and questionnaires. Title from title screen (viewed Apr. 28, 2008). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Dept. of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine. Includes bibliography. Also available in print form.

THESIS (D.N.P. (Doctor of Nursing Practice))--School of Nursing, University of San Francisco, 2010. / Bibliography: leaves 61-67.

Thesis (M. Nursing)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2007. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jean Shreffler-Grant. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 45-49).

No description available.

Medicine unavailability, also known as stock-outs is a global problem. South Africa is not exempt from this problem which impacts negatively on the way in which healthcare services are rendered, more especially in the public sector. Communities are complaining about the unavailability of medicines at public health facilities particularly in primary health care clinics. In an effort to address this problem, the Minister of Health has declared medicine availability as one of the six priorities of the Department of Health. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the experiences and perceptions of healthcare professionals practicing at primary healthcare clinics in a peri-urban area of the Eastern Cape regarding the unavailability of medicines. Understanding the experiences and perceptions was expected to assist in addressing the problem at hand and help management in developing ways to address the problem and support the employees. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals working at primary health care clinics in and around Mdantsane Township in the Eastern Cape. The main findings of the study can be divided into the following topics: perceived causes of medicine stock-outs, the implications of stock shortages, actions taken in the case of stock-outs and the role to play by in mitigating the impact of stock shortages. The limitations of the study include the research sample which was not truly representative of all healthcare professionals working at Mdantsane sub-district primary healthcare clinics. The study recommends various strategies that management should follow to assist in addressing medicine shortages. The researcher recommends further research to describe the experiences of healthcare professional regarding medicine unavailability.

In 2014 Bodenheimer and Sinsky published the Quadruple Aim model, which argued that healthcare provider wellbeing was the missing link to improving patient and population health outcomes, as well as cost containment. Rather than treating burnout, however, experts in fields outside healthcare are finding validity in promoting thriving at work as a means to prevent burnout and improve employee satisfaction, engagement, and productivity. The purposes of this study were to investigate the relationship between thriving and emotional exhaustion (which is widely considered a core element of burnout) in healthcare providers, and the impact thriving had on primary care population health outcomes as measured by quantifiable value-based quality performance metrics. Using Georges' (2013) Emancipatory Theory of Compassion and Bodenheimer and Sinsky's Quadruple Aim as conceptual frameworks, this descriptive, non-experimental study used advanced applied biostatistical techniques to analyze archival data from the December 2018 UCHealth Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Voice Survey as well as provider performance scores from the same time period. Results of the study were mixed, showing that while there is an inverse relationship between thriving and emotional exhaustion in healthcare providers, thriving did not predict population health outcomes. By evaluating thriving in healthcare providers in relation to emotional exhaustion and in context of value-based health care delivery systems, this study was the first of its kind. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Background Primary care practices in the United States (US) are currently constrained in their ability to deliver high quality care due to population aging, insurance expansion, and an increasing prevalence of chronically ill patients. The nurse practitioner (NP) workforce plays a critical role in meeting the growing demands for primary care, particularly in rural and underserved areas. NPs are also more likely to deliver care to clinically and socially complex populations such as high-need high-cost (HNHC) patients. HNHC patients are adults who suffer from multiple chronic conditions and experience additional functional, behavioral, or socioeconomic needs. Despite comprising only 5% of the US population, HNHC patients account for nearly half of total health care expenditures and over 90% of Medicare expenditures. HNHC patients with behavioral health diagnoses such as depression or substance abuse face heightened challenges managing their conditions and consequentially have higher preventable spending and emergency department (ED) utilization compared to the overall HNHC population. Significant policy attention has been placed on enhancing primary care practices as a strategy to improve outcomes and reduce costs in HNHC patients. Structural capabilities are features of primary care practices (e.g., after-hours care or care coordination) which are needed to deliver high quality primary care and chronic disease management. Yet, to date little research has been done on structural capabilities in primary care practices where NPs deliver care to HNHC patients. The overall purpose of this dissertation is to understand how to enhance primary care delivery and structural capabilities to improve outcomes for HNHC patients. We have achieved the following specific aims: (1) Establish a clear definition of HNHC patients, (2) Identify existing primary care and payment models used among HNHC patients and evaluate their impact on ED utilization and costs, (3) Evaluate structural capabilities in NP primary care practices located in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), and (4) Analyze the association between NP practice structural capabilities and ED utilization among HNHC patients with behavioral health conditions. Dissertation Chapters and Key Findings Chapter One includes an introduction to the landscape of current primary care delivery, the role of the NP workforce in expanding access, and the unique challenges of delivering care to HNHC patients. This chapter also discusses the conceptual framework guiding the dissertation, the specific aims of each study, and how each study will fill a gap in the literature. Chapter Two (Aim 1) consists of a concept analysis of HNHC patients using the Walker and Avant framework. Three subgroups of HNHC patients were identified: adults over the age of 65 who suffer from multiple chronic conditions with functional or behavioral health needs, the frail elderly, and patients under 65 years old with a serious mental health condition or disability. Antecedents that predispose an individual to becoming a HNHC patient include challenges accessing timely care, low socioeconomic status, or unmet needs. Persistent high spending occurs as a result of poorly managed chronic diseases leading to acute exacerbations, preventable health service utilization, and fragmented care between the acute and primary care settings. Chapter Three (Aim 2) is a systematic review of studies conducted from 2000-2020 on primary care and payment models used with HNHC patients. About half of the primary care models evaluated in the systematic review (11 out of 21 studies) showed no significant difference in ED utilization among HNHC patients. Care coordination and care management (15 out of 21 studies) demonstrated both positive and negative associations with ED utilization and costs. Primary care models that demonstrated significant reductions in ED utilization had shared features, including frequent follow-up, multidisciplinary team-based care, enhanced access, and care coordination. Chapter Four (Aim 3) includes a cross-sectional study of NP survey data from 2018-2019 on practice structural capabilities linked with data on primary care shortages (i.e., HPSA designation). Bivariate analyses and multivariable regression models were used to compare NP characteristics and structural capabilities in HSPA practices compared to non-HPSA practices. The majority of NPs in our sample (61%) delivered care in HPSA practices. NP practices located in HPSAs were significantly more likely to deliver care coordination compared to non-HPSA practices. We found no significant difference in prevalence of registries, after-hours care, or shared communication systems. Chapter Five (Aim 4) is a study of cross-sectional NP survey data from 2018-2019 on practice structural capabilities linked with Medicare Part A and Part B claims to identify HNHC patients and ED utilization. Multivariable Poisson models were used to estimate the association between ED utilization and structural capabilities in practices serving HNHC patients with behavioral health conditions including depression, alcohol use, and substance use disorder. Care coordination was associated with decreased rates of ED utilization among the overall HNHC population and those with alcohol use, but not among HNHC patients with depression or substance use disorders. Shared communication systems were associated with decreased rates of all-cause and preventable ED utilization among HNHC patients with alcohol use and substance use disorders. Chapter 6 is a summary of findings across studies in this dissertation and will present the strengths, limitations, and contributions to science. This chapter will also discuss implications for policy, practice, and directions for future research. Conclusion HNHC patients face complex and wide-ranging medical, social, and behavioral health needs resulting in poor clinical outcomes and high costs. Enhancing primary care is an urgent goal for policymakers to improve disease management while reducing overall costs of care. Findings from these studies demonstrate that NPs practice in underserved areas and are significantly more likely to deliver care coordination in HPSA practices and to HNHC patients with behavioral health conditions. Care coordination has the potential to increase effectiveness of primary care delivery by tailoring models to target specific HNHC patients. Shared communication systems also show promise for improving primary care delivery and reducing ED utilization among HNHC patients with alcohol use and substance use disorders. Future research should continue to explore how structural capabilities may enable NPs to deliver timely, high quality, cost-effective primary care for HNHC patients.

The prevalence of untreated and undertreated mental health concerns and the comorbidity of chronic conditions and mental illness has led to greater calls for the integration of primary care and mental health. In 2012, the Oregon Health Authority authorized 16 Coordinated Care Organizations (CCO) to partner with their local communities to better coordinate physical, behavioral, and dental health care for Medicaid recipients. One part of this larger effort to increase coordination is the integration of primary care and mental health services in both primary care and community mental health settings. The underlying assumption of CCOs is that organizations have the capacity to fundamentally change how health care is organized, delivered, and financed in ways that lead to improved access, quality of care, and health outcomes. Using the Rainbow Model of Integrated Care (RMIC), this study examined the factors that impact organizational efforts to facilitate the integration of primary care and mental health through interviews with executive and senior staff from three CCOs. The RMIC focuses attention on the different levels at which integration processes may occur as well as acknowledges the role that both functional and normative enablers of integration can play in facilitating integration processes within as well as across levels. The following research question was explored: What key factors in Oregon's health care system impede or facilitate the ability of Coordinated Care Organizations to encourage the integration of primary care and mental health? Using a case study approach, this study drew upon qualitative methods to examine and identify the factors throughout the system, organizational, professional, and clinic levels that support CCO efforts to facilitate the integration of primary care and mental health. Fourteen primary interviews were conducted with executive and senior staff. In addition, eleven secondary interviews from a NIDA funded project as well as twenty-four key CCO documents from three CCOs were also included in this study. The RMIC was successful in differentiating extent of CCO integration of primary care and mental health. Findings demonstrate that normative and functional enablers of integration were most prevalent at the system and organization level for integrating mental health into primary care for these three CCOs. However, there was variation in CCO involvement in the development of functional and normative enablers of integration at the professional and clinic levels. Normative and functional enablers of integration were limited at all of the RMIC levels for integrating primary care into community mental health settings across all three CCOs. The Patient-Centered Primary Care Home model provided CCOs with an opportunity to develop functional and normative enablers of integration for integrating mental health in primary care settings. The lack of a fully developed model for integrating primary care services in community mental health settings serves as a barrier for reverse integration. An additional barrier is the instability of community mental health as compared to primary care; contributing factors include historically low wages and increased administrative burden. System wide conversations about where people are best served (i.e., primary care or community mental health) has yet to occur; yet these conversations may be critical for facilitating cross-collaboration and referral processes. Finally, work is needed to create and validate measures of integration for both primary care and community mental health settings. Overall findings confirm that integrating primary care and mental health is complex but that organizations can play an important role by ensuring the development of normative and functional enablers of integration at all levels of the system.