Bailey R N
College of Optometry, University of Houston, TX 77204, USA.
J Am Optom Assoc. 1995 Oct;66(10):631-3.
Systems are being proposed by health planners in an effort to improve access to health care for the uninsured and underinsured, including the vulnerable and indigent populations. The lack of affordable and adequate health care for significant numbers of our citizens raises the potential for a serious economic crisis for our nation. Modern medicine has been more interested in developing high tech care for the well insured than in preventive and early intervention health care. While the development of this high technology is of great value and will be beneficial to many, it is out of financial reach for increasing numbers of individuals. As a nation we must reduce the demand for high priced medical care by providing a system that keeps people healthy or intervenes in their illness at a stage when less dramatic medical measures are able to restore them to health. To maintain a population that is healthy and productive in the school setting and in the work place, systems must be developed that reach out into the community with prevention-oriented health education programs and health care services at the primary care level.
A limited literature review was made in order to present to the optometric community the concept of Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC) as a cost-effective method of improving access to primary care services.
The literature review demonstrated that Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC) as a health-oriented strategy brings the benefits of primary care closer to those in need. The history of the development of community oriented primary care services as a health delivery methodology, as well as the current utilization of the COPC concept, is presented in this paper.
Optometry, as a provider of primary eye and vision care services should be included in these cost effective programs.
卫生规划者正在提出各种体系，以努力改善未参保者和参保不足者（包括弱势群体和贫困人群）获得医疗保健的机会。大量公民缺乏负担得起且足够的医疗保健，这给我们国家带来了严重经济危机的可能性。现代医学对为参保良好者开发高科技医疗更感兴趣，而不是预防性和早期干预性医疗保健。虽然这种高科技的发展具有巨大价值且将造福许多人，但越来越多的人却无力承担其费用。作为一个国家，我们必须通过提供一种体系来减少对高价医疗的需求，该体系能让人们保持健康，或者在病情较轻的医疗措施能够使他们恢复健康的阶段对其疾病进行干预。为了在学校环境和工作场所维持健康且有生产力的人口，必须开发能通过以预防为导向的健康教育项目和初级保健层面的医疗保健服务深入社区的体系。
进行了有限的文献综述，以便向验光界介绍以社区为导向的初级保健（COPC）这一概念，将其作为改善获得初级保健服务机会的一种具有成本效益的方法。
文献综述表明，以社区为导向的初级保健（COPC）作为一种以健康为导向的策略，使初级保健的益处更接近有需要的人群。本文介绍了以社区为导向的初级保健服务作为一种医疗服务提供方法的发展历程，以及COPC概念的当前应用情况。
验光作为初级眼保健和视力保健服务的提供者，应纳入这些具有成本效益的项目中。
