What is the 'problem' that outreach work seeks to address and how might it be tackled? Seeking theory in a primary health prevention programme

Citation

Mackenzie M, Turner F, Platt S, Reid M, Wang Y, Clark J, Sridharan S & O'Donnell CA (2011) What is the 'problem' that outreach work seeks to address and how might it be tackled? Seeking theory in a primary health prevention programme. BMC Health Services Research, 11 (1), Art. No.: 350. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-11-350

Abstract
Preventive approaches to health are disproportionately accessed by the more affluent and recent health improvement policy advocates the use of targeted preventive primary care to reduce risk factors in poorer individuals and communities. Outreach has become part of the health service response. Outreach has a long history of engaging those who do not otherwise access services. It has, however, been described as eclectic in its purpose, clientele and mode of practice; its effectiveness is unproven. Using a primary prevention programme in the UK as a case, this paper addresses two research questions: what are the perceived problems of non-engagement that outreach aims to address; and, what specific mechanisms of outreach are hypothesised to tackle these.

Journal
BMC Health Services Research: Volume 11, Issue 1