Primary health care reform in Albania: a pilot project to provide evidence for health policy.

The U.S. Agency for International Development-funded Partners for Health Reformplus Project provided technical assistance to the government of Albania from 2001 to 2005 in the design and implementation of a sub-set of its health sector reform strategy focused on strengthening the primary health care (PHC) sector. An integrated PHC service delivery model was designed implemented and evaluated in two districts to inform national health policy for later refinement and replication on a wider scale. The model integrated five major components - family medicine training for PHC providers a facility-based health information system service delivery reorganization and quality improvement financing reforms and community involvement. The model addressed the low quality of primary health care lack of any data on PHC patients or costs bypassing of PHC clinics for specialty polyclinics or hospitals fragmented financing and management of PHC and the absence of community involvement. The pilot was a bottom-up approach that informed the development of an integrated PHC delivery system that is affordable to the Albanian economy. (authors)