Assessing and developing community participation in primary health care in Aotearoa New Zealand: a national study.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to develop and test a framework and tool for assessing and developing community participation in Primary Health Organisations (PHOs) in New Zealand.


METHODS
A qualitative study completed in three phases: semi-structured interviews with 42 key stakeholders in the primary care sector; development of and consultation on a draft toolkit, which included a PHO review process; and piloting the toolkit in four different types of PHOs.


RESULTS
A toolkit entitled Community Participation: A Resource Kit and Self-Assessment Tool for PHOs (CP Toolkit for PHOs) was developed, which contains a set of resources for organisational self-review and a framework for community participation under the six headings: Organisational Structure, Maori Responsiveness, Governance and Management Processes, Use of Resources, Links to the Wider Community, and Consultation and Decision-Making. The pilot PHO sites found the CP Toolkit, and the review process contained within it, to be very relevant to the implementation of the Primary Health Care Strategy at a PHO level.


CONCLUSIONS
The Community Participation Toolkit for PHOs complements existing quality tools available for clinical general practice and nursing, and supports the further development of primary health care in New Zealand.
Neuwelt
Pat
P
Centre for Health Services Research and Policy, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1. p.neuwelt@auckland.ac.nz
Crampton
Peter
P
Crengle
Sue
S
Dew
Kevin
K
Dowell
Anthony
A
Kearns
Robin
R
Thomas
David R
DR
D003256:Community Participation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods