Utility of a thematic network in primary health care: a controlled interventional study in a rural area

Abstract

BackgroundUniNet is an Internet-based thematic network for a virtual community of users (VCU). It supports a virtual multidisciplinary community for physicians, focused on the improvement of clinical practice. This is a study of the effects of a thematic network such as UniNet on primary care medicine in a rural area, specifically as a platform of communication between specialists at the hospital and doctors in the rural area.MethodsIn order to study the effects of a thematic network such as UniNet on primary care medicine in a rural area, we designed an interventional study that included a control group. The measurements included the number of patient displacements due to disease, number of patient hospital stays and the number of prescriptions of drugs of low therapeutic utility and generic drug prescriptions by doctors. These data were analysed and compared with those of the control center.ResultsOur study showed positive changes in medical practice, reflected in the improvement of the evaluated parameters in the rural health area where the interventional study was carried out, compared with the control area. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of UniNet as a potential medium to improve the quality of medical care in rural areas.ConclusionThe rural doctors had an effective, useful, user-friendly and cheap source of medical information that may have contributed to the improvement observed in the medical quality indices.

Geographical mobility of general practitioners in rural Australia

“…However, there is ample supportive evidence from observational studies that such programmes improve competencies and job satisfaction of rural health workers (85)(86)(87)(88). They can also contribute to improving local quality of care, reduce the number of consultation visits to specialists and lower the rate of hospital admissions (89,90).…”

Evaluated strategies to increase attraction and retention of health workers in remote and rural areas

“…Two studies reported that certain competencies of health workers improved as a result of retention interventions, 30,38 while improved job satisfaction was reported in five evaluations of retention strategies. 32,34,39,44,45 Finally, four studies reported on the effects of rural retention interventions on service delivery and communities, in terms of improved quality of care, reduced referrals and reduced waiting times 33,38,46,47 (Appendix D, available at: http://www.who. int/hrh/resources/evaluation_tables).…”