21 Sep
Year after year we have heard about the need of a new flu vaccine shot because the virus mutations. But this season, 2011-2012, the flu vaccine is exactly the same of the previous one, 2010-2011. Now the reason is that the immunity lasts one year. It is a “terminator” vaccine, as the sterile seeds you [...]
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 [...]
18 Aug
Barbara Starfield died 10th June 2011. She was a giant of primary health care. Her publications have being critical for building up a framework for health services researh, and for health policy. This obituary remember her work and life. Quando um gigante cai, os añoes ficam sem sombra. Gérvas, J., Peréz Fernández, M. Rev Soc [...]
