Evaluation of the structure and provision of primary care in the Republic of Moldova: a survey-based project

Abstract

In many countries in transition, health reforms are part of profound and comprehensive changes in essential societal functions and values. Reforms of (‎primary)‎ care are not always based on evidence and progress may be driven by political arguments or the interests of specific professional groups, rather than by the results of sound evaluations. However, policy-makers and managers nowadays increasingly demand evidence of the progress of reforms and the responsiveness of services. The implementation of the WHO Primary Care Evaluation Tool (‎PCET)‎ aims to provide a structured approach towards this by drawing on the health systems functions, such as governance, financing and resource generation, as well as the characteristics of a good primary care service delivery system: accessibility, comprehensiveness, coordination and continuity. This report gives an overview of the findings for the Republic of Moldova. The project was launched and implemented in the Republic of Moldova in 2011 as part of the framework of the Biennial Collaborative Agreements 2010–2011 and 2012–2013 between the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova. These agreements lay out the main areas of work for collaboration between the parties. Additional partners included the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (‎NIVEL, a WHO Collaborating Centre for Primary Care)‎, the National Centre of Health Management and other stakeholders in the health system of the Republic of Moldova, such as national policy experts, managers, medical educators, primary care nurses, family doctors and their patients.