[Difficulties in carrying out preventive activities in primary care]

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Primary Care Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Primary Care settings are pivotal for preventive health activities and health promotion.
• Integrating these activities into daily practice presents challenges for healthcare professionals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze the difficulties perceived by Primary Care health professionals in incorporating preventive activities into their routine practice.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study was conducted using a survey.
• Participants included health professionals from primary care teams in the Barcelonès Nord and Maresme health region.
• Survey response rate was 47.7%.

Main Results:

• The most significant perceived obstacles were patient pressure or lack of time (score 6.2).
• Other key barriers included absence of a procedure or program (4.5), lack of economic incentives (4.4), and insufficient material resources (4.2).
• Lower-scoring barriers were training (3.4) and motivation (2.9).

Conclusions:

• Primary Care professionals encounter significant obstacles in delivering preventive activities, with time constraints and forgetting being primary issues.
• Implementing reminder systems (e.g., registration sheets) and team-based procedures can help overcome these barriers.
• Focusing on the most pressing concerns of frontline professionals is essential for improving preventive care integration.