Improving health outcomes: Implementing PHC centered district strengthening approach in Satara

At PATH, design thinking is in our DNA. We believe that effective primary health care (PHC) must prioritize people, placing individuals, patients, and caregivers at the forefront of service design and delivery.

Through collaboration with partners, PATH is committed to improving PHC nationwide. In Maharashtra's Satara district, PATH has joined forces with the government to pioneer a district-level approach to pilot a replicable model for PHC across the country.

To strengthen PHC, we deploy purposeful innovations, integrate disease-specific programs, advance women’s health, incorporate climate-proofing initiatives, and adopt digital advancements to make health care more efficient and accessible.

Not only are primary health care centres equipped with new devices and tools, but the PHC benefit package has also been expanded to include communicable and non-communicable diseases, anemia control, and lifesaving care for snakebite envenoming and dog bite.

We have mobilized community platforms to foster a culture where health care becomes a collective endeavor. We also assist health centres in obtaining quality certification and improve their supply chain practices.

Publication date: March 2024

Available materials

    1. Brief: Using a HCD lens to increase uptake of primary health care services and redesigning referral pathways 1.9 MB PDF

      Together with our partner, Final Mile, a behavioural sciences study was conducted to assess patients' and providers' approach towards primary healthcare. The study documented supply and demand barriers by reframing 13 problems and laying out referral pathways as integral cross-cutting areas for the increased uptake of PHC services.
    2. Brief: A model for reducing health care touchpoints and increasing early detection of health conditions among women in India 2.9 MB PDF

      In response to gender-based health care disparities in India, PATH, in collaboration with the Government of Maharashtra, is implementing a model in Satara district to enhance women's access to primary health care. This comprehensive approach includes screening for noncommunicable diseases and cancers, capacity-building for health workers, and establishing diagnostic linkages for timely treatment.
    3. Brief: Patient support group—a process of innovation for reducing the rural access gap 1.7 MB PDF

      This brief highlights PATH's efforts in enhancing health care in Satara, Maharashtra, and focuses on strengthening primary health care services and introducing innovative solutions like patient support groups (PSGs). It emphasizes community engagement and adherence to treatment regimens for chronic illnesses through PSGs.
    4. Brief: Reducing the rural access gap by driving fit-for-purpose innovations in primary healthcare products, services, and systems 1.8 MB PDF

      Satara is poised to emerge as a hub of innovation, with a focus on developing various cutting-edge technologies aimed at expediting primary care solutions for screening and early diagnosis of both communicable and non-communicable diseases in rural settings.

      PATH teams are actively engaged in crafting innovative technological products, complemented by concurrent efforts in systems and services innovation. The following brief expounds on the range of innovations currently underway in Satara.
    5. Brief: Expanding primary health care benefit package based on community needs 1.7 MB PDF

      This program brief outlines PATH’s support activities towards the comprehensive primary health care program. In particular, it highlights activities pertaining to the roll out of emergency care packages, addressing the burden of non-communicable diseases and the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program.
    6. Brief: Digitalization of primary health care in Satara 1.7 MB PDF

      PATH is actively supporting the digitization of primary health care in line with the vision of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission by implementing a comprehensive primary health care (CPHC) application. This application will serve as centralized data entry point, capturing information at both community and facility levels. This will help to streamline processes, enhance user experience for both service providers and recipients, and alleviate the administrative burden on health care staff.
    7. Brief: Enhancing quality of primary health care services 1.7 MB PDF

      Through capacity building and rigorous assessments supported by PATH, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are achieving quality certification under the government's quality assurance initiatives. Insights from Satara have been consolidated into a comprehensive quality resource package, including modules on National Quality Assurance Standards and Standard Operating Procedures.
    8. Brief: Enhancing social participation in primary health care 1.6 MB PDF

      This document explains the unique case of Maharashtra, describing the various processes that were followed to establish a Jan Arogya Samiti at Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs).

      The guidebook acts as a resource for facility staff, providing details of processes and various annexures.
    9. Brief: Strengthening procurement practices in primary health care 1.5 MB PDF

      This program activity brief explains the need to strengthen procurement practices, and outlines PATHs technical support activities in the state of Maharashtra.
    10. Guidance document for implementing patient support groups 3.4 MB PDF

      The National Health Policy 2017 envisaged the establishment of culturally appropriate community-centered solutions to meet the health needs of communities—the ageing community in particular.

      To reduce gaps in rural access, PATH in collaboration with Public Health Department, Maharashtra, initiated PSGs to promote individuals’ active engagement in managing their own health conditions. This document provides detailed guidelines for frontline workers to enhance health seeking behaviors in these communities.
    11. Patient support group facilitation guide for community health officers 3.7 MB PDF

      This document outlines the global challenge of chronic disease management, emphasizing the need for patient-centric approaches to improve treatment adherence.

      It introduces PSGs as a vital strategy to empower individuals with chronic conditions, enhance self-management skills, and foster community support. The document further details the Ayushman Bharat Comprehensive Primary Health Care (AB-CPHC) program's guidelines for frontline workers to facilitate PSGs, aiming to enhance chronic care outcomes.
    12. Reducing mortality and morbidity associated with snakebite envenomation 3.7 MB PDF

      This technical document provides a comprehensive health system strengthening approach covering the entire continuum of snakebite care within the scope of primary health care. The plan provides a case for snakebite prone areas to adapt a One Health approach, which engages various stakeholders involved in this space.
    13. Guidebook for formation of Jan Arogya Samiti (JAS) in Maharashtra 1.6 MB PDF

      The guidebook outlines the establishment of Jan Arogya Samiti (JAS) in Maharashtra's Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM), aimed at enhancing community engagement and addressing social determinants of health. It details the role of AAMs in providing primary health care services, and highlights the importance of JAS in promoting intersectoral action.