Primary Health Care

Sun Country Health Region is strengthening our commitment
to Primary Health.

We want to make it easier for you to obtain services and manage your well-being.

Primary Health Care is about
• staying healthy: preventing illness and injury,
• managing chronic conditions,
• treating acute medical illness,
• promoting healthier living and
• accessing the best health provider for the job.

We would like to hear from you. If you would like to know more about Primary Health Care or provide us with comments, please contact Primary Health & Rehab at (306) 842-8722 or by email to Susan.Buehler@SCHR.sk.ca 

Primary Health on the national site at http://www.primaryhealthcare.ca/

Gain quick and easy access to health information at your fingertips by visiting www.healthlineonline.ca/

What is Primary Health Care?

Primary Health Care is a model of health service delivery. Much of health services to date have focused on provision of medical services - services to treat acute illness after it occurs. This is often referred to as primary care or curative care.

Primary Health Care builds on primary care by focusing the delivery of service to include a holistic approach, a continuum of services, a range of health providers, the involvement of the public and recognition that health is influenced by many factors.

In 2002, Mabel and Marriotte described Primary Health Care as follows:
"Primary Health Care involves responding to illness within the broader determinants of health. It also includes coordinating, integrating, and expanding systems and services to provide population health, sickness prevention and health promotion by all disciplines..."

What does this mean to you? Let's break it down:

Holistic approach: respecting the whole person by recognizing the relationship between physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being.

Continuum of services: Primary Health Care includes preventative, promotive, curative, supportive and rehabilitation services. So it involves the entire spectrum of health services and basic health programs: home care, public health, mental health, addiction and drug abuse services, primary medical care, long term care, emergency services, end of life care, laboratory and X-ray services, therapy services.

Range of health providers: Interdisciplinary Teams of health care providers have a long history of working together to deliver quality care. More and more, these Teams are moving into a model which is based on a greater degree of inter-professional collaboration thus allowing a more optimal use of the team members by ensuring coordinated, comprehensive care that is provided by the "right care provider at the right time".

There is growing evidence that this interdisciplinary collaborative model of care can produce better health outcomes and improved over-all system efficiency.

Involvement of the public: Community participation is essential in identifying the broader health needs of each community. It is also essential in the planning of services that are responsive to those needs. In addition, Primary Health Care works to strengthen linkages with agencies and organizations that directly impact the determinants of health - agencies such as social services, learning, recreational facilities and groups, police, municipal government and others.

Health is influenced by many factors: Your health and that of your community is affected by many factors besides provision of health services. In fact, health services really play a minor part in how healthy a community or it's members are. These other factors are referred to as the "Determinants of Health" which includes your income, employment, education, housing, genetics, environment and social support systems.

So what does Primary Health Care mean?

Primary Health Care provides services to individuals, families, communities and populations. It is a proactive approach to preventing illness before it occurs, coordinating treatment when illness is present (management), and ensuring appropriate follow-up. In addition, it collaborates with the community and intersectoral partners to address broader community health needs.

What are the benefits of primary health care? 

This primary health care model is based on the premise that health professionals, together with clients and communities, work to provide the integrated and accessible health care services.

Some of the most immediate benefits of strengthening primary health care include:
• increased access to primary health care resources;
• organizations that address the unique health care needs of the population they serve;
• interdisciplinary approaches to care;
• health care that emphasizes health promotion, disease prevention and the ongoing management of chronic diseases;
• expanded access to essential service, and
• improved integration with other health services, such as hospitals, home care and specialists.
• better use of highly qualified health professionals
• client and community integral partners in their own health.

What are the benefits of interdiscicplinary teams?

The development of primary health care teams will mean a better work environment where providers enjoy the collegial nature of practicing as part of the team. Team members will use their time more effectively and have the satisfaction of using the full range of their skills.  

There are many good examples of team work in the health system that can be built on as primary health care develops.  

Public understanding of the team approach to care will enhance awareness that there are a variety of options for accessing health care. The physician may see a patient for more complex needs; a primary care nurse practitioner may see a patient for a stable chronic condition and to renew a prescription; a public health nurse conduct a well baby check at a clinic; a pharmacist may do medication counselling of a client with complex medication needs; a therapist may provide injury prevention and back care education.

The client, their families, and the communities are essential members in Primary Health Care Teams. There may be more citizen and professional involvement in health promotion and injury prevention.