21 Sep
Primary health care have a different status across countries. This paper is an exploration of the reasons why. Much can be learned by analysing Spain as a benchmark, and comparing it with other Mediterranean countries (Greece, Italy, and Portugal). Critical steps in Europe to set up PHC under conditions of resource constraint. The case fo the [...]
21 Sep
Primary health care provides services fitted to health needs of the population. To understand the way of working in PHC we need to consider a general framework with focus in the workforce (providers) and the way of payments (and incentives). Considerations around the Duth model helps in this paper to make proposals for improvement. PHC: [...]
20 Sep
Rethinking the health service production function: What role for primary health care in modern health service provision? Seminar of Innovation in Primary Care. Oxford (UK), 29nd September 2012 Organized by Juan Gérvas MD, PhD (general practitioner, Equipo CESCA, Madrid, Spain; visiting professor, International Health, National School of Public Health, Madrid) and José M. Valderas MD, [...]
18 Aug
The Lancet published in May a few papers about the Brazilian health system, none of them on primary care, or with a focus on health policy. Therefore, important questions were kept out of the debate. This letter highlights some of the critical questions as maldistribution of doctors. Brazilian health service organization: problems at a glance. [...]
18 Aug
Brazil, with almost 200 millions inhabitants, has a public primary health system that covers 60% of the population. Health centers are public, with professionals working as public employees, and organized in health teams (one per 4.000 inhabitans, with a family physician, a nurse, an auxiliar and six agents of communiyt health). The Strategy of Family [...]
15 Aug
Ignorance is frequently the rule in between neighbours. This study focus on political borders as scientific barries with data from Portuguese and Spanish publications in the field of General Practice. Spanish authors fully ignore their Portugueses colleages which in turn cited them just in low percentage. Both use to cite English papers, as the European [...]
6 May
The cerivastatin fatal rhabdomyolysis affair should be use as an example to stimulate reconsideration of the whole process of drug approval, marketing and use, as occurred after thalidomide was found to cause adverse effects to the foetus. It is not just a safety issue. Cerivastatin and fatal rhabdomyolysis: not just a safety issue. Gérvas, J., [...]
