Primary health care vs. emergency medical assistance: a conceptual framework

Primary health care (PHC) and emergency medical assistance (EMA) are discussed as two fundamentally different strategies of delivering health care. PHC is conceptualized as part of overall development, while EMA is delivered in disaster or emergency situations. The article contrasts the underlying p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inHealth policy and planning Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 49 - 60
Main Authors Van Damme, WIM, Van Lerberghe, WIM, Boelaert, Marleen
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England Oxford University Press 01.03.2002
Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
Subjects
Accountability
Concepts
Delivery
Developing Countries
Disasters
Emergency Medical Services - economics
Emergency Medical Services - organization & administration
Emergency services
Frameworks
Health
Health administration
Health care
Health planning
Health policy
Health services
Health Services Research
Humans
Medical personnel
Medical treatment
Paradigms
Participation
Policy studies
Primary care
Primary health care
Primary Health Care - economics
Primary Health Care - organization & administration
Public health
Social Responsibility
Society
Thailand
Thailand
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Summary:Primary health care (PHC) and emergency medical assistance (EMA) are discussed as two fundamentally different strategies of delivering health care. PHC is conceptualized as part of overall development, while EMA is delivered in disaster or emergency situations. The article contrasts the underlying paradigms, and the characteristics of care in PHC and EMA. It then analyzes the characteristics of PHC and EMA health services, their structure, management and support systems. In strategic aspects, it contrasts how managerial and financial sustainability are fundamentally different, and how the term accountability is used differently in development and disaster situations. However, while PHC and EMA, development and disaster, are clear opposite poles, many field situations in the developing world are today somewhere in-between. In such non-development, non-emergency situations, the objectives and approach will have to vary and an adapted strategy combining characteristics from PHC and EMA will have to be developed.
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PII:1460-2237
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SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0268-1080
1460-2237
1460-2237
DOI:10.1093/heapol/17.1.49