RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Operational Definitions of Attributes of Primary Health Care: Consensus Among Canadian Experts
JF The Annals of Family Medicine
JO Ann Fam Med
FD American Academy of Family Physicians
SP 336
OP 344
DO 10.1370/afm.682
VO 5
IS 4
A1 Jeannie Haggerty
A1 Fred Burge
A1 Jean-Frédéric Lévesque
A1 David Gass
A1 Raynald Pineault
A1 Marie-Dominique Beaulieu
A1 Darcy Santor
YR 2007
UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/5/4/336.abstract
AB PURPOSE In 2004, we undertook a consultation with Canadian primary health care experts to define the attributes that should be evaluated in predominant and proposed models of primary health care in the Canadian context. METHOD Twenty persons considered to be experts in primary health care or recommended by at least 2 peers responded to an electronic Delphi process. The expert group was balanced between clinicians (principally family physicians and nurses), academics, and decision makers from all regions in Canada. In 4 iterative rounds, participants were asked to propose and modify operational definitions. Each round incorporated the feedback from the previous round until consensus was achieved on most attributes, with a final consensus process in a face-to-face meeting with some of the experts. RESULTS Operational definitions were developed and are proposed for 25 attributes; only 5 rate as specific to primary care. Consensus on some was achieved early (relational continuity, coordination-continuity, family-centeredness, advocacy, cultural sensitivity, clinical information management, and quality improvement process). The definitions of other attributes were refined over time to increase their precision and reduce overlap between concepts (accessibility, quality of care, interpersonal communication, community orientation, comprehensiveness, multidisciplinary team, responsiveness, integration). CONCLUSION This description of primary care attributes in measurable terms provides an evaluation lexicon to assess initiatives to renew primary health care and serves as a guide for instrument selection.