Developing community partnerships for primary healthcare: An integrative review on management challenges

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The aim of this review was to identify healthcare management barriers, challenges and obstacles in the development of health partnerships in community intervention projects.

Methods: We conducted an integrative review using the following data sources: PubMed, B-on, Medline and EBSCOhost. The keywords in the search were: Health Partnerships AND Community Health AND Primary Health Care. We grouped results based on six categories: Environment; Membership; Process and structure; Purpose; Communication; Resources.

Findings: The search conducted identified 844 articles. After being submitted to the first filter, and applying the exclusion and inclusion criteria, a total of 56 were reviewed. Of these, 44 dealt with aspects relating to Environment. In 53 articles it was referred that the relationship partners were key to the development of partnerships. Factors relating to the process of collaboration were found in 45, while factors related to structural elements were mentioned in 40 articles. 31 identified factors relating to purpose. Communication was highly discussed, appearing in 34 articles. Factors relating to resources were given great importance in the literature, appearing in 48. In 23, the subject of leadership.

Conclusions: The literature reviewed highlighted that dimensions such as relationships, commitment, communication, funding, and structure are key in the long-term sustainability of the partnership. However, more studies are needed.

KEYWORDS:

• Partnerships
• community intervention
• primary healthcare
• integrative review
• management challenges

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 ‘Cultural competence involves understanding and appropriately responding to the unique combination of cultural variables – including ability, age, beliefs, ethnicity, experience, gender, gender identity, linguistic background, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status – that the professional and client bring to interactions’ [153].

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Odete Maria Azevedo Alves

Odete Maria Azevedo Alves is researcher of Universidad do Porto and a lecturer in public and community health. Her research interests include the development of health partnerships in community intervention projects. Odete is expert in Nursing and over 25 years work experience in different areas of healthcare.

Joaquim Paulo Moreira

Joaquim Paulo Moreira is professor of health policy and management and in the past fifteen years has held several international and national executive positions in the field of health management and communication. His research interests include the development of integrated health care. Collaboration in this article took place in the support and supervision of the PhD project of the main author.

Paula Clara Santos

Paula Clara Santos is professor of Physiotherapy at School health of polytechnic Institute of Porto and researcher at CIAFEL e CIR. She works in the areas of physiotherapy in the community; health promotion and women's health. In the last thirty years has held work experience in community projects in partnership with various national and international institutions. Her research interests include projects of health promotion. Collaboration in this article took place as an independent reviewer, and in support of analysing results.