Co-location of services: an umbrella review to consider how primary care estates could be better used to support disadvantaged groups.

TL;DR

An umbrella review of 13 systematic reviews found that co-locating community and health services in primary care settings can improve access, engagement, and quality of care for disadvantaged groups, with benefits for mental health and social determinants of health. Efficiency impacts were inconsistent across studies.

Key findings

• Co-location of legal advice, welfare support, and complementary health services in primary care improves access to care and treatment engagement for disadvantaged populations
• Improvements reported in mental health outcomes and social determinants of health when services are co-located
• Primary care estates represent an underutilized infrastructure opportunity to support vulnerable communities and reduce health inequalities
• Evidence for efficiency gains from co-location was inconsistent across included reviews

Why this matters at the bedside

Directly relevant to primary care practice redesign and health equity. Provides evidence base for practitioners and policymakers considering how to optimize use of primary care facilities to address health disparities and improve care integration for vulnerable populations.