Provision of primary care in different countries

doi:10.1136/bmj.39237.534560.80

BMJ 2007;334:1230-1231 (16 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.39237.534560.80

Editorials

Provision of primary care in different countries

Priorities of patients should not be overpowered by economicand political incentives

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Primary care has an important part to play within healthcaresystems.¹ The World Health Organization defines the main aimof healthcare systems as the improvement of health, but it notesthat financing should be fair and systems of care ought to respondto people's expectations.² Countries whose healthcare deliveryfocuses on the role of the specialist tend to fare less wellin surveys that take account of these three goals.³ Primarycare seems to offer important advantages within healthcare systemsin terms of cost containment, health status of the population,and a range of other health related outcomes—the valueof a strong primary care base within national healthcare systemsis recognised by the WHO.⁴ How can cross national studies provideinsight into the optimal organisation of health care?

In this week's BMJ, Bindman and colleagues⁵ use data from nationalsurveys in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States to. . . [Full text of this article]

John L Campbell, professor of general practice and primary care

Peninsula Medical School, St Luke's Campus, Exeter EX1 2LU

jlcampbell@pms.ac.uk

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Diagnostic scope of and exposure to primary care physicians in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States: cross sectional analysis of results from three national surveys: Andrew B Bindman, Christopher B Forrest, Helena Britt, Peter Crampton, and Azeem Majeed
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