Community engagement in general practice: a qualitative study
N. Rowe 1 , R. Keenan 2 , L. Lack 2 , N. Malloy 3 , R. Strasser 4 , R. Lawrenson 2 51 Flinders University, College of Medicine and Public Health, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
2 University of Waikato, Medical Research Centre, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.
3 Wellsford Medical Centre, Wellsford 0940, New Zealand.
4 Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B5E1, Canada.
5 Corresponding author. Email: ross.lawrenson@waikatodhb.health.nz
Journal of Primary Health Care 11(2) 146-151 https://doi.org/10.1071/HC18092
Published: 18 July 2019
Journal Compilation © Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners 2019.
This is an open access article licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Community engagement is believed to be an important component of quality primary health care. We aimed to capture specific examples of community engagement by general practices, and to understand the barriers that prevent engagement.
METHODS: We conducted 20 distinct interviews with 31 key informants from general practice and the wider community. The interviews were semi-structured around key relevant topics and were analysed thematically.
RESULTS: Key themes identified from the interview transcripts included an understanding of ‘community’, examples of community engagement and the perceived benefits and barriers to community-engaged general practice. We particularly explored aspects of community engagement with Māori.
CONCLUSIONS: General practices in the study do not think in terms of communities, and they do not have a systematic framework for engagement. Although local champions have generated some great initiatives, most practices seemed to lack a conceptual framework for engagement: who to engage with, how to engage with them, and how to evaluate the results of the engagement.
Keywords: Māori; Rural, Primary Health Care.
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