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Community-oriented primary care: new relevance in a changing world.
Fitzhugh Mullan1, Leon Epstein
1Department of Prevention and Community Health, George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Washington, DC, USA. fmullan@projecthope.org
American Journal of Public Health
|October 31, 2002
Summary
Community-Oriented Primary Care (COPC) originated in South Africa and influences global health initiatives. This model offers valuable methods for organizing democratic community health services worldwide.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Primary Care
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Community-Oriented Primary Care (COPC) originated in rural, pre-apartheid South Africa.
- COPC has significantly influenced global public health and primary care leadership.
- It has informed programs like US community health centers and UK general practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a global overview of COPC.
- To trace the conceptual roots and review manifestations of COPC.
- To explore future prospects of COPC as a paradigm for democratic health service organization.
Main Methods:
- Global overview of COPC.
- Tracing conceptual roots.
- Reviewing diverse manifestations.
- Examining pitfalls and paradoxes.
Main Results:
- COPC has a rich history and diverse global applications.
- The model has faced challenges and paradoxes.
- COPC offers valuable principles for health system reform.
Conclusions:
- COPC provides essential values and methods for public health movements.
- Its future utility lies in its potential for democratic organization of community health.
- COPC remains a relevant and influential model in global health.