Abstract

BACKGROUND
Community development plays an important role in increasing the access of disadvantaged groups to resources and services. We examined how community development in primary healthcare services may improve patient safety by involving people in activities that lead to their enhanced use of services.
METHODS
Audits of service activity and 68 in-depth interviews at six primary healthcare services in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Managers, practitioners and administration staff, plus regional health service executives and departmental funders participated in the interviews.
RESULTS
Each of the services undertook some community development. Reported benefits included engaging people in health promoting activity, providing people with social contacts and, crucially, encouraging people to use health services.
DISCUSSION
Community development is a means of engaging people who, for a range of reasons, are reluctant to use services and therefore can increase patient safety.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Baum F, Freeman T, Lawless A, Jolley G

Institution

Southgate Institute for Health, Society and Equity, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. fran.baum@flinders.edu.au

Source

Australian family physician 41:6 2012 Jun pg 424-8

MeSH

Community Health Services
Consumer Participation
Health Services
Health Services Accessibility
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Northern Territory
Oceanic Ancestry Group
Patient Safety
Primary Health Care
South Australia

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22675686