Avaliação da efetividade da atenção primária a saúde: o programa mais médicos sob o olhar dos profissionais

Abstract

This is a research to evaluate the effectiveness of Primary Health Care (PHC) in Basic Health Units (BHU) and in Family Health Strategy units (FHS) with and without More Doctors Program (MDP). It is an evaluation, exploratory and descriptive research of quantitative-qualitative approach. The objective was evaluated the effectiveness of the assistance offered by the PHC, comparing units with different care models, besides containing or not MDP professionals. In order to do so, we used the PHC evaluation tool, PCATool - Brazil, professional’s version, validated in Brazil and the interviewer 's characterization tool developed for the study. A total of 128 professionals were interviewed, including 60 physicians, 51 nurses and 17 unit coordinators, working in the 14 BHU teams and 35 FHS teams in the city of Cascavel - PR. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was used to analyze the data. The results indicated the presence of effectiveness in the actions and services offered by the BHU and FHS units with and without the MDP of the municipality of Cascavel - PR, from the point of view of professionals. However, the isolated analysis of attributes of longitudinality, completeness - available services - and family orientation, evidenced differences regarding the effectiveness of BHU and FHS units with and without MDP, regarding these attributes. The effectiveness of the attributes of accessibility for the three groups studied, longitudinality and coordination - information systems - for services offered by BHU was also evidenced low effectiveness. The existence of differences regarding the effectiveness in FHS units with MDP for FHS units without MDP and BHU was not confirmed in the present study. Reports from the professionals obtained through the Interviewee Characterization Instrument demonstrated that the presence of MDP contributes to the access and strengthening of other attributes of primary care, despite questions about its relevance. Also, the service infrastructure had a negative influence on the provision of basic health actions, regardless of the increase in physicians due to MDP. Providing health care in primary care requires change beyond the supply of physicians, implying changes in the work process, adequate infrastructure and working conditions that allow the expansion of access and coverage that the program seeks.