162808 Chilean primary healthcare reform: Health worker satisfaction assessment

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Keren Ladin, BA, MSc , Population and International Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Sarah I. Lewis, BA, MSc , Population and International Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Juan Pablo Chiquito, MD , Family Medicine, Univeristad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Elisa Lopez-Varela, MD , Population and International Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Antonio Germann , Population and International Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Ana Boned-Ombuena, MD , Population and International Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Paula Fernandez, MD , Family Medicine, Univeristad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Maya Getchell, MSc , Population and International Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Bich-May Nguyen , Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Stemming from the national health reform, Chile has transitioned from the traditional model of primary care to the patient-centered family medicine model which emphasizes a team approach to healthcare delivery, involving physicians, social workers, nurses, midwives, and other professionals. While there has been much support of the family medicine model among policy experts, support from affected healthcare professionals remains unclear. This study assessed the level of satisfaction among healthcare practitioners in recently transitioned family medicine clinics comparing employee experiences in the new system to traditional primary care model. Over the course of two years, surveys were collected from 2 family medicine health centers in the Santiago, Chile metropolitan area. Sixty four individuals, representing every type of occupation in the health centers, completed the 26-question survey. 97% of the surveys were returned. Survey results illustrate that 62% of the respondents agree or strongly agree with the priorities and procedures implemented by their clinic, resulting from the adoption of the family medicine model. 72% of clinic personnel consider adoption of the family medicine model as beneficial to both patient and employee satisfaction. When compared to the previous model of primary care, 54% of respondents believe that patients receive higher quality of care; whereas only 5 % report a deteriorated level of care. Although there seems to be strong support for the new healthcare delivery model, several key challenges emerge. Staff training, technical assistance/ information systems training, and reduction of administrative tasks are important areas that need to be addressed.

Learning Objectives:
1. To assess health worker satisfaction in family medicine model settings. 2. Evaluate health worker perceptions regarding national health reform initiative implementing the family medicine model as the preferred method of primary healthcare provision. 3. Identify challenges to internal implementation of the family medicine model as it relates to both patient and practitioner satisfaction.

Keywords: Health Care Workers, Primary Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.