Pioneering family physicians and the mechanisms for strengthening primary health care in India—A qualitative descriptive study

Bibliographic Data

ID19594408
AuthorsArchna Gupta (0000-0001-5915-7609, St. Michael's Hospital, corresponding author), Ramakrishna Prasad (0000-0003-3196-4227, Academy of Family Physicians of India, corresponding author), Sunil Abraham (0000-0001-7703-1882, christian medical college, vellore, corresponding author), Nisanth Menon Nedungalaparambil (0000-0003-3347-8775, Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, corresponding author), Megan Landes (0000-0003-2944-0491, University of Toronto, corresponding author), Carolyn Steele Gray (0000-0002-2146-0001, University of Toronto, corresponding author), Sanjeev Sridharan (0000-0002-0392-3084, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, corresponding author), Onil Bhattacharyya (0000-0001-5219-7288, University of Toronto, corresponding author)
EditorsShailendra Prasad (0000-0003-1168-5917)
Year2023
Volume3
Issue6
Pagese0001972
Publication date2023-06-08
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePLOS Global Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2767-3375 • E-ISSN: 2767-3375
PublisherPublic Library of Science (PLoS) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1371/journal.pgph.0001972
PMID37289670
OpenAlexW4379967390
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited53

India has one of the most unequal healthcare systems globally, lagging behind its economic development. Improved primary care and primary health care play an integral role in overcoming health disparities. Family medicine is a subset of primary care—delivered by family physicians, characterized by comprehensive, continuous, coordinated, collaborative, personal, family and community-oriented services—and may be able to fill these gaps. This research aims to understand the potential mechanisms by which family physicians can strengthen primary health care. In this qualitative descriptive study, we interviewed twenty family physicians, identified by purposeful and snowball sampling, who are among the first family physicians in India who received accredited certification in FM and were identified as pioneers of family medicine. We used the Contribution of Family Medicine to Strengthening Primary Health Care Framework to understand the potential mechanisms by which family medicine strengthens primary health care. Iterative inductive techniques were used for analysis. This research identifies multiple ways family physicians can strengthen primary health care in India. They are skilled primary care providers and support mid and low-level health care providers’ ongoing training and capacity building. They develop relationships with specialists, ensure appropriate referral systems are in place, and, when necessary, work with governments and organizations to access the essential resources needed to deliver care. They motivate the workforce and change how care is delivered by ensuring providers’ skills match the needs of communities and engage communities as partners in healthcare delivery. These findings highlight multiple mechanisms by which family physicians strengthen primary health care. Investments in postgraduate training in family medicine and integrating family physicians into the primary care sector, particularly the public sector, could address health disparities

Descriptive research · Family medicine · Health care · Political science · Primary care · Primary health care · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Healthcare Policy and Management · Healthcare Systems and Reforms · Law · Medicine · Nursing · Primary Care and Health Outcomes · Psychology