title: The implementation of a Community Health Centre-based primary care model in Italy. The experience of the Case della Salute in the Emilia-Romagna Region.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Comunity Health Centre (CHC) primary care model is a team-based health care delivery model intended to provide comprehensive and continuous medical care to patients within a defined community. The CHC, Case della Salute in Italian, model was introduced in the Emilia-Romagna Region in 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present updated data on the implementation on the CHC Case della Salute primary care model in the Emilia-Romagna Region.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There are 67 operating CHCs in Emilia-Romagna (update March 2015); 26 small (39%), 24 medium (36%) and 17 large (25%). Since 2011 the number of operating CHCs has increased by 60%, reaching 55% of the target planned CHCs (n. = 122). There is, on average, one running CHC per 66.524 inhabitants. 16% of total general practitioners (GPs) and 8.4% of total family paediatricians working in Emilia-Romagna have their practice in CHCs. CHCs offer primary and specialist integrated care, prevention services, health education and social care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although preliminary results suggest CHCs have fostered primary care's quality and efficiency, more research is needed to assess their impact on improving clinical, social and economic outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Unità di Sanità Pubblica, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Biotecnologiche e Traslazionali (S.Bi.Bi.T.), Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy - Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale di Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Odone
authors.affiliation: Unità di Sanità Pubblica, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Biotecnologiche e Traslazionali (S.Bi.Bi.T.), Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy - Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale di Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saccani
authors.affiliation: Unità di Sanità Pubblica, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Biotecnologiche e Traslazionali (S.Bi.Bi.T.), Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chiesa
authors.affiliation: Servizio Assistenza Territoriale, Direzione Generale Sanità e Politiche Sociali e per l'Integrazione, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brambilla
authors.affiliation: Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale di Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brianti
authors.affiliation: Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fabi
authors.affiliation: Servizio Assistenza Territoriale, Direzione Generale Sanità e Politiche Sociali e per l'Integrazione, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Curcetti
authors.affiliation: Servizio Assistenza Territoriale, Direzione Generale Sanità e Politiche Sociali e per l'Integrazione, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Donatini
authors.affiliation: Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balestrino
authors.affiliation: Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale di Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.affiliation: Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale di Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale di Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saccenti
authors.affiliation: Unità di Sanità Pubblica, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Biotecnologiche e Traslazionali (S.Bi.Bi.T.), Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy - Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Signorelli
mesh_terms: D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D005194:Family Practice; D058005:General Practitioners; D006276:Health Facility Size; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D012040:Regional Health Planning; D000078329:Workforce