PRIMARY HEALTH CARE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Primary Health Care in Developing Countries

Primary Health Care in Developing Countries

Primary health care can be defined as essential or necessary health care based on practical, scientifically sound, culturally suitable and socially recognized methods. This means that it should be accessible to all the people in their communities, the participation of the community should be allowed, should be connected to and also a central function of, New Zealand's health system. According to Gillies (2003), it should also be the first level of contact with our health system. On the other hand, we find that primary care is considered to appear or stands at the center of medical care systems, whereby its main functions is to provide an entry point, delivering core medical and preventive care, as well as enabling patients to manage and incorporate care.

In this assignment I will attempt to critically analyse whether collaboration is an essential requirement to promoting health in the primary care setting. The analysis will be illustrated where possible with reference to my own experiences of primary Care practise.

Names and information relating to patients throughout this document will be altered and pseudo names, utilised in order to protect their confidentiality, in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Councils Code of Practice. Finally I will conclude by giving my opinion on areas I feel need improving, to achieve a higher standard of effective collaborative practice. Nurses working in primary care today face the issues of collaborative practice and integrated team - work daily. The Department of Health (1989) announced the need for superior collaboration by recognising some individuals will suffer not from one single problem/disability but from several, covering both social and health care needs.

In these cases no single professional body can encompass the whole of these problems. It also reveals that effective team - work and collaboration is imperative for the facilitation of all health services working together for successful provision of care in a more holistic approach. The integration of nursing teams in primary has been a relatively recent development (Beech 2002) it has been widely recognised that a team effort is required to nurse successfully (McMurray, 1993). In the teams the members may be very skilled at their own jobs, but few have received education or training in how to work together in an effective team. It is a pooling of skills and experience, recognising the best support agency to meet the client's needs that is required.

The following factors in ensuring effective collaboration must be satisfied. These include the knowledge and understanding of the role and function of other agencies, being aware and accepting different perspectives of a problem, efficient and effective documentation; a willingness to share knowledge and a clear understanding of boundaries and responsibilities. Who (1978) states primary care is the first point of contact for individuals, the family and community with the national health system, bringing health care as close as possible to where people live and work, and constitutes the first element of a continuing health ...