International Learning on Increasing the Value and Effectiveness of Primary Care Conference

On April 4, 2011, AHRQ hosted a small conference on international lessons in primary care system design and development. Leading thinkers, researchers, and implementers from Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom joined a delegation from the United States led by Kevin Grumbach, Paul Grundy, and Kavita Patel to discuss models of care, system and community infrastructure, quality and safety, process of health system change and sustainability, and financing and incentives. The goal of the meeting was to propose a policy roadmap for the United States to revitalize its primary care system. The meeting was co-sponsored by the Commonwealth Fund and was organized in partnership with the AAFP's Robert Graham Center. The conference presentations and group discussions may be viewed here until April 30, 2012. Later this year, AHRQ will publish a summary of the conference and individual papers from each of the seven participating delegations.

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Presentations

Welcome 
Carolyn Clancy
Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

International Overview of Health Systems: Findings From the Commonwealth International Health Policy Survey 
Robin Osborn
Vice President and Director, International Program in Health Policy and Innovation
The Commonwealth Fund

Panel 1: Primary Care Models
Panelists: Harry Pert (New Zealand)
Brian Hutchison (New Zealand)
John Marley (Australia)
Moderator: David Meyers (United States)

Panel 2: Infrastructure to Support Primary Care
Panelists: David Colin-Thomé (United Kingdom)
Emil Djakic (Australia)
John Sahl Andersen (Denmark)
Moderator: Kevin Grumbach (United States)

Panel 3: Creating and Sustaining Change and Transformation
Panelists: Chris van Weel (The Netherlands)
Harry Pert (New Zealand)
James Dunbar (Australia)
Moderator: Kjeld Møller Pedersen (Denmark)

Panel 4: Promoting Quality and Safety
Panelists: Jens Søndergaard (Denmark)
Arno Timmermans (The Netherlands)
Bruce Guthrie (United Kingdom)
Moderator: Rob Wedel (Canada)

Panel 5: Financing and Incentives to Support Primary Care
Panelists: Martin Roland (United Kingdom)
Marsha Barnes (Canada)
Henk Schers (The Netherlands)
Moderator: Beverley O'Keefe (New Zealand)

Panel 6: Reactions From the United States
Panelists: Kavita Patel
Thomas Graf
Paul Grundy
Moderator: Kevin Grumbach

The Transformation Package
Facilitator: Claire Jackson (Australia)

Note: The conference continued on April 5, 2011, with a half-day session devoted to developing policy options and recommendations for the United States in order to revitalize its primary health care system.