Levers in Primary Health Care - Identifying Strategic Success Factors for Improved Primary Care in Upper Austria

• Published in: Gesundheitswesen (Bundesverband der Ärzte des Öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes (Germany)) Vol. 78; no. 12; p. 835
• Main Authors: Kriegel, J, Rebhandl, E, Reckwitz, N, Hockl, W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: Germany 01.12.2016
• Subjects: Austria; General Practice - organization & administration; Models, Organizational; Organizational Objectives; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) - organization & administration; Primary Health Care - organization & administration; Quality Improvement - organization & administration; Quality Indicators, Health Care
• ISSN: 1439-4421
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-110521

Current and projected general practitioner (GP) and primary care in Austria shows structural and process inadequacies in the quality as well as assurance of healthcare supply. The aim is therefore to develop solution- and patient-oriented measures that take patient-related requirements and medical perspectives into account. Using an effect matrix, subjective expert and user priorities were ascertained, cause and effect relationships were examined, and an expanded circle of success for the optimization of GP and primary care in Upper Austria was developed. Through this, the relevant levers for target-oriented development and optimization of the complex system of GP and primary care in Upper Austria were identified; these are training to become general practitioners, entrepreneurs as well as management and coordination. It is necessary to further adapt the identified levers conceptually and operationally in a targeted approach. This is to be achieved by means of the primary health care (PHC) concept as well as management tools and information and communication technologies (ICT) associated with it.