In 2016, the US Preventive Services Task Force concluded that there was "insufficient" ("I" statement) evidence to support universal primary care screening for autism spectrum disorder. The statement led to controversy among research and clinical communities. Although a number of papers have since been published arguing for the…

During its 2012 legislative session, Washington State passed ESHB 2366, otherwise known as the Matt Adler Suicide Assessment, Treatment, and Management Act of 2012. ESHB 2366 is a significant legislative achievement as it is the first law in the country to require certain health professionals to obtain continuing education in the assessment,…

Given the chorus of approval for primary care emanating from every party to the health reform debate, one might suppose that the future for primary physicians is bright. Yet this is far from certain. And when one looks to history and recognizes that primary care medicine has failed virtually every conceivable market test in recent years, its…

The inclusion of evidence-based psychological interventions within Medicare through Better Access addresses an inequity within the Australian health system against people with mental disorders. The question of "Who is qualified to provide these services" is the overriding focus of many commentaries on Better Access within psychology.…

Genetics offers many opportunities for nursing research. Nurse researchers can contribute in such areas as biological, environmental, and behavioral linkages; genetic determination of physiological responses; and translation of science findings into clinical interventions. (SK)

A two-week workshop was held by the United Nations Children Fund and the World Health Organization for planners of training in primary health care (PHC) to increase their ability to plan effectively for PHC training. The emphasis was on placing training within the national context and ensuring that people would be trained to meet national goals.…

Discusses the history of health care in Latin America in the twentieth century. Indicates that nurses provide most of the health care and that there is a need to enhance the nursing education programs in Latin America. (JOW)

Primary health care goes beyond the individual focus of primary care to build interventions for improved health for the entire population. It embodies these principles: equitable distribution, appropriate technology, focus on promotion and prevention, community participation, and a multisectoral approach. (SK)

Looks at the problems associated with the rapidly changing health-care system and the anxiety caused by it. Suggests a shift in nursing education is necessary in order to provide competent primary health-care practitioners. Describes the integrated primary health-care program at Saint Xavier University in Chicago, Illinois. (JOW)

Presents an interview with Dr. Eric Goon, director of the Division of Development of Human Resources, and R. Margaret Truax, a nurse scientist, of the World Health Organization (WHO). They discuss the state of WHO today and its goals for the year 2000. (JOW)

This primary health care model is based on four assumptions: emphasis on collective, not individual, needs; coordination of preventive/episodic care with secondary/tertiary care; comprehensive, holistic approach; and partnership and equality among professional disciplines and community members. Stakeholders involved are medical, nursing, and…

Aspects of the development of medical and nursing education make primary health care just one of medicine's specialities when it is actually the essence of the nursing profession. The author contends that primary care as an academic discipline within nursing is really the general discipline and should be so conceptualized. (MF)

Premature birth (defined as delivery before 37 weeks gestation) and low birthweight (below 2,500 grams) are major health problems in the United States. Infants in these categories account for 75 per cent of neonatal deaths and 50 per cent of deaths in the first year of life. Survivors contribute disproportionately to the pool of handicapped…

Alabama's Rural Elderly Enhancement Program is a nurse-initiated project developed on a model of community participation and empowerment. The program's initial goal was to maintain the health and independence of the elderly; it was expanded to an intergenerational focus with an involvement with youth. Most of their target population is African…

Explores the reasons that dementia is poorly understood and managed and suggests ways in which obstacles to optimal management of dementia can be overcome through research and through development of evidence-based services. (Author/JOW)