Primary care funding and organisational policy options and implications: a narrative review of evidence from five comparator countries.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To review innovative models of primary care in different countries in order to identify potential mechanisms for reforming primary care policy in Australia. METHODS: We conducted a narrative review and synthesis of evidence about models of primary care from four English-speaking comparator countries (New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States) and one European country (The Netherlands), with a particular focus on the relevance and applicability of these models to Australia. RESULTS: We identified four key mechanisms for bringing about reform in primary care: flexible funding, quality frameworks, regional-level primary care organisations, and primary care infrast..