Primary health care

Primary Health Care (PHC) has been promulgated for over two decades as a global strategy for ensuring basic health care for all people. PHC is characterized by equity, accessibility, availability of resources, social participation, intersectoral community action, and cultural sensitivity. While PHC can be discussed as philosophy or a process, it is critical that PHC be understood as a community focus in health care that differs from a primary care focus on individuals. Capturing PHC components in community-based interventions in order to advance the development of a rigorous research base requires a shift in thinking about what constitutes acceptable methods and evidence for evaluating changes in health care. To this end, the authors of this review discuss perspectives and available research that inform practice within multidisciplinary teams, highlight the importance of social discourse, and review participatory evaluation issues for achieving a working relationship with communities. Particular attention is focused on education for nurses' roles in PHC activities within implementation models fostering community mobilization and development. An action plan is suggested as a means for situating discrete research activity within a PHC framework.