Nurs Prax N Z. 1990 Nov;6(1):22-6.

Community health for the 1990's.

Nursing praxis in New Zealand inc

J Moore

PMID: 2135724

Abstract

If Primary Health is to work, then health professionals must remove the barriers they have built, or at least not dismantled. Perhaps it is the perception of health professionals that has to change, rather than the expectation of the consumer. Vote: Health money cannot be used to support 'experts' to do their jobs in a way that ignores Primary Health principles and instead supports their profession. Professional jealousies must be eliminated as multi-disciplinary teams build on each other's strengths for the good of the consumer. For after all, we may be health professionals but we are also consumers, we may even become patients. What we know is good for us and our families, should also be good for others. If planned community health honestly puts Primary Health concepts and practices into place and gives them proper and equitable support, resources and finances, then Primary Health can and will work. If community health services allow professionals to carry on paying lip service to Primary Health philosophy but still continue to hold the power and create dependent compliant patients, then we may as well pack up our our journey into the 1990's and stay with the 1940's. It can only work when those with the perceived expertise share it and let it go. Helping people to help themselves by caring and sharing knowledge, skills and resources--that's Primary Health.

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MeSH terms

• Community Health Services / organization & administration
• Community Health Services / standards
• Community Health Services / trends
• Family
• Forecasting
• Health Services Accessibility / standards
• Humans
• Primary Health Care / organization & administration
• Primary Health Care / standards
• Primary Health Care / trends
• Self Care

Publication Types

• Journal Article