EVALUATION OF PRIMARY CARE FROM THE USERS’ PERSPECTIVE: RELATIONSHIP WITH HEALTH EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the quality of primary health care and its relationship with educational practices from the perspective of users of the Brazilian unified health system (SUS). Material and Method: Cross-sectional, analytical study, carried out with 785 users of basic health units in the state of Goiás, Brazil, in 2018, through interviews, using a sociodemographic characterization questionnaire, health education and promotion actions, as well as the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCATool). In the analysis of the attributes, the cut-off score of 6.6 was considered. Results: No attribute reached the cut-off score, including the general and essential score. The attributes that received the worst scores were: first contact access - accessibility (3.2), completeness of services provided (3.2) and community orientation (3.1). The best evaluated were coordination - information systems (5.8) and first contact access - use (5.7). The prevalence of low average score for the essential score was 93.0% and for the general score 94.6%, below satisfactory. A low percentage of users participating in educational activities (EA) was evidenced. Educational practices proved to be insufficient to determine high scores or close to the cut-off point. Conclusion: It was observed that educational practices follow a vertical model, characterized by the decrease of health education as an emancipatory practice. Participants in EA and those who perceive that they bring benefits to health showed better evaluation of some attributes in relation to others.