The Medical journal of Australia
-
To evaluate the impact of a comprehensive primary health care service model on key health performance indicators in a remote region of Australia. ⋯ This study demonstrates that strengthening primary health care services by addressing key enablers and sustainability requirements can translate into population health gains consistent with the goals underpinning the National Health Care Reform and Closing the Gap policies, and may potentially reduce health inequity for remote-living Aboriginal Australians.
-
To examine the uptake of financial incentive payments in general practice, and identify what types of practitioners are more likely to participate in these schemes. ⋯ Administrative support available to GPs appears to be an increasingly important predictor of incentive use, suggesting that the administrative burden of claiming incentives is large and not always worth the effort. It is, therefore, crucial to consider such costs (especially relative to the size of the payment) when designing incentive payments. As market conditions are also likely to influence participation in incentive schemes, the impact of incentives can change over time and these schemes should be reviewed regularly.