RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Improving Equity Through Primary Care: Proceedings of the 2019 Toronto International Conference on Quality in Primary Care
JF The Annals of Family Medicine
JO Ann Fam Med
FD American Academy of Family Physicians
SP 364
OP 369
DO 10.1370/afm.2560
VO 18
IS 4
A1 O’Neill, Braden
A1 Ferrer, Robert
A1 O’Brien, Patricia
A1 Watt, Graham
A1 Gottlieb, Laura
A1 Pinto, Andrew
A1 Willems, Sara
A1 Currie, Jody
A1 Harriott, Dawnmarie
A1 Leitch, Jonathan
A1 Zsager, Alexander
A1 Kidd, Michael
A1 Kiran, Tara
YR 2020
UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/18/4/364.abstract
AB Health equity allows people to reach their full health potential and receive high-quality care that is appropriate for them and their needs, no matter where they live, what they have, or who they are. It is a core element of quality in health care. Around the world, there are many efforts to improve equity through primary care. In order to advance these efforts, it is important to share successes and challenges. Building on our work with international stakeholders to identify key primary care research priorities, we organized the Toronto International Conference on Quality in Primary Care that was held on November 16, 2019. Participants from 8 countries took part. Key recommendations included the establishment of continuous relationships between providers and patients over time, relationships between providers in the health and social sectors, and resources supported proportionally to patient need. Solutions must be generated using team-based approaches that explicitly include people with who have experienced discrimination. Progress will require confronting structural determinants including racism, capitalism, and colonialism. Conference participants suggested practical solutions, such as developing a public transportation program for rural residents to improve community building and the ability to attend medical appointments, and identifying patients who have recently missed clinic visits that may benefit from additional care. These approaches will need to be evaluated through high-quality research and quality improvement, with a knowledge translation that facilitates sustainability and expansion across settings.