Barriers to Primary Care in Lima, Peru

Given Peru's epidemiologic transition, this exploratory study sought to understand the role that primary care holds in Lima's medical system. Key stakeholders in Peru were administered semi-structured qualitative interviews to understand the factors that influence the availability and quality of primary care. Five areas were targeted for inquiry: financing, the training of primary care providers, access to services, patients’ first contact with the health-care system, and treatment coordination. Interviewees described primary health-care services as having a lack of treatment continuity, inconsistent record keeping, and often staffed by recent medical graduates with little primary care training, which can manifest to reduce the use of primary care services. Despite identifying numerous barriers to quality primary care services, interviewees remained committed to the principles of universal access espoused by Peruvian legislation and offered recommendations related to metrics, financing, technology, and workforce development to improve both primary care access and quality.