The healthcare landscape constantly evolves, with new challenges and opportunities emerging globally. Recently, I had the privilege of participating in the International Conference on Primary Health Care Policy and Practice, a significant event celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Alma-Ata and the 5th anniversary of the Astana declarations. During the pre-event, I had the opportunity to deliver a keynote address on the crucial topic of “Managing TB, HIV, and viral hepatitis in Primary Health Care (PHC).” In this blog post, we will delve into the concept of integration, its importance, and the challenges and opportunities it presents.

Managing TB, HIV and viral hepatitis in Primary care from Alexandre Lourenço

Integration in Healthcare: What Does it Mean?

Integration in healthcare refers to coordinating and delivering multiple healthcare services within a single setting or across different levels of care to provide comprehensive and patient-centered care. In the context of managing communicable diseases such as TB, HIV, and viral hepatitis, integration entails:

  1. Coordinated Care: Ensuring that patients with these diseases receive care that addresses all their health needs rather than treating each condition separately.
  2. Streamlined Services: Combining services like testing, diagnosis, treatment, and counseling to reduce duplication of efforts and improve efficiency.
  3. Innovative Organizational Models: Exploring new ways to organize healthcare, such as bringing together primary healthcare and hospital services under one umbrella organization. As it is the progressive case in Portugal.

Challenges in the European Region

While the benefits of healthcare integration are clear, real challenges exist, especially in the European region. Some of the specific challenges discussed during the conference include:

Challenges at the PHC Level:

  • Work Overload: Primary care providers often face heavy workloads, which can hinder their ability to provide comprehensive care.
  • Prioritization: PHC teams may prioritize more prevalent conditions, potentially leaving communicable diseases like TB, HIV, and viral hepatitis with less attention.
  • Role of Community Pharmacies: The increasing role of community pharmacies in healthcare delivery requires careful coordination to ensure seamless care.
  • Building Trust: Building trust among key populations is crucial to ensure they engage with formal PHC services. Besides, informal and outreach care is still essential.

Challenges in Specialized Services:

  • Low Attractiveness: Some critical medical specialties may be less attractive to healthcare professionals, leading to shortages in specialized care.
  • Disease Prevalence: Low disease prevalence can raise questions about the need for dedicated providers and services.

Innovative Models in Portugal

One highlight of the conference was Portugal’s innovative organizational models that aim to strengthen care integration. These models combine primary healthcare and hospital services within the same organizational structure, facilitating better coordination and improved patient outcomes.

Acknowledgments

I want to sincerely thank Stela Bivol, the moderator of the conference session and a true leader in the field of healthcare integration. Your guidance and insights were invaluable. Also, to my panel colleagues Daniela Demiscan, Bibigul Aubakirova, and Irma Khonelidze for the insightful exchange of ideas.

A special thank you goes to Melitta Jakab for organizing this exceptional event and for her outstanding leadership in the realm of Primary Health Care at the European level.

In conclusion, healthcare integration is not just a concept; it’s a pathway to delivering more effective, patient-centered care. By addressing the challenges and exploring innovative models like those in Portugal, we can advance our efforts to combat communicable diseases and improve our communities’ overall health and well-being. Let’s continue working together to make healthcare integration a reality.