Â鶹Éçmadou

A research team, led by the International Centre for Future Health Systems (ICFHS) Senior Research Fellow Dr Shona Bates, with colleagues A/Prof Michael Wright, Dr Peter Brown, Dr Rafal Chomik, Dr Jialing Lin, Prof Michael Kidd AO, and international colleagues Dr Tara Kiran (University of Toronto) and Dr Luke Allen (University of Oxford), undertook work to build our understanding of patient enrolment policies in primary care. Previous research () identified that not all patient enrolment schemes are the same; ignoring this variation is potentially risky as it could lead to policy makers and researchers to overlook specific enablers of and barriers to achieving the desired outcomes. In this review of 15 enrolment schemes in 12 countries, we identified the key characteristics and variations in enrolment schemes and developed a typology based on two distinctive features around (1) the ability to attend another practice, and (2) the incentives to attend the enrolled practice (financial, non-financial and both). The typologies allow policy makers and researchers to better understand the design and outcomes from different approaches to patient enrolment - and enable researchers to compare 'like with like'. This study is particularly relevant to primary care reforms introducing or reviewing patient enrolment mechanisms - including in Australia.  The article is available open access through the Lancet Primary Care.

The review also featured in an article published in the Medical Republic.