Primary Health Care Insights

A five-year study funded by the Health Research Council to evaluate the effectiveness of Aotearoa New Zealand's primary health care system.

Research overview

Our research looks at what is working, for whom, and in what contexts, with the goal of improving access to and use of primary health care services and to successfully introduce new models of care.

Our programme takes a systems approach and seeks to identify key issues at all levels of the health system—macro, meso, and micro—with an emphasis on service user experiences, Māori health, Pacific health, and the health of those with lower incomes who live in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Reducing inequities

Many studies demonstrate the ongoing disparities between Māori and non-Māori health status, health outcomes, and access to health services. International evidence suggests that improved primary healthcare can lead to reductions in these inequities.

Accordingly, the ways in which primary healthcare reforms are expected to improve the health of Māori, and what is happening in practice, are key aspects of our research programme.