Equity in Primary Health Care Provision: More than 50 years of the Inverse Care Law

I guest edited a special issue of the Australian Journal of Primary Health with Dr Liz Sturgiss that reflects on more than 50 years of the Inverse Care Law.

The Inverse Care Law was first coined by Julian Tudor Hart in 1972 to refer to availability of good medical and social care varying inversely with the needs of the population served .

As we note in the editorial:

…we cannot forget the importance of income inequality as one of the primary manifestations of disadvantage. Poverty remains one of the principal determinants of how the inverse care law plays out in primary health care and it is a cross-cutting issue that affects all disadvantaged groups to varying degrees. All approaches to improve the access to primary care would benefit from specific attention to how the needs of those living in poverty are served.

The special issue includes a range of articles on the Inverse Care Law itself, Aboriginal and First Nations health, care for transgender people, access for people from culturally diverse backgrounds, and general practice. Most are open access – please take a look.

References

Harris-Roxas, B., & Sturgiss, E. (2023). Equity in primary health care provision: more than 50 years of the inverse care law. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 29(2), i–ii. https://doi.org/10.1071/PY23062
Tudor Hart, J. (1971). The inverse care law. The Lancet, 7696, 405–412. http://er1.library.unsw.edu.au/er/cgi-bin/eraccess.cgi?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(71)92410-X

Still time to submit your article: Equity in Primary Health Care Provision – More than 50 years of the Inverse Care Law

Dr Liz Sturgiss and I are guest editing a special issue of the Australian Journal of Primary Health on Equity in Primary Health Care Provision – More than 50 years of the Inverse Care Law.

There’s still time to submit your EOI for inclusion in the special issue, in the form of abstracts are due by 30 March 2022. Full submissions are due by 15th July 2022.

Key areas

We welcome submissions of primary research as well as commentary and review papers from anywhere in the world. We particularly seek submissions based on:

  • Comprehensive primary health care for specific populations, including
    – prison populations
    – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and First Nations
    – culturally and linguistically diverse communities
    – people living in poverty
    – populations experiencing homelessness and unhoused people
    – rural and remote health
  • Models of care and health services research
  • Team based care and exploration of scope of practice
  • Policy innovations and funding models
  • Community-based responses to the needs of marginalised and oppressed groups

More information on the Australian Journal for Primary Health website.

“The availability of good medical care tends to vary inversely with the need of the population served” – Submit your article to our special issue marking fifty years of the inverse care law

Dr Liz Sturgiss and I are guest editing a special issue of the Australian Journal of Primary Health on “Equity in Primary Health Care Provision: More than 50 years of the Inverse Care Law”.

Tudor Hart, J. (1971). The inverse care law. The Lancet297(7696), 405–412.

The special issue will cover a range of topics, including:

  • Comprehensive primary health care for specific populations, including
    – prison populations
    – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and First Nations
    – culturally and linguistically diverse communities
    – people living in poverty
    – populations experiencing homelessness and unhoused people
    – rural and remote health.
  • Models of care and health services research.
  • Team based care and exploration of scope of practice.
  • Policy innovations and funding models.
  • Community-based responses to the needs of marginalised and oppressed groups.

There’s more information on the special issue and the Australian Journal of Primary Health herehttps://www.publish.csiro.au/py/content/CallforPapers#1. Final submissions are due by 15 July 2022 but we’re asking that people submit EOIs in the form of an abstract by 30 March 2022.