Brazilian Survey on Preventive Actions for the Population With Access to Primary Healthcare: Inefficient Spending in a Country in Economic Crisis.

BACKGROUND: Cancer ranks second as a cause of death in Brazil. Although preventive practices are part of the daily routine of primary healthcare (PHC) teams, organized screening programs are lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the adequacy of preventive interventions in the main cancer types, as defined by the Brazilian government. METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional data from a larger project conducted in 2016 with PHC service users and physicians from all over Brazil, interviewed by trained research staff. The sample was stratified by the number of PHC physicians per geographic region, who were eligible for inclusion if they had been working in the same PHC unit for at least one year. Twelve adult patients with at least two encounters were included per participating physician. Only the data from service users were analyzed in this study. We evaluated the questions about preventive practices and calculated the following indicators: coverage, focus, screening errors, and screening ratio. National guidelines and international evidence were used as a comparison parameter. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 6160 service users. The data indicate that the recommendations for cervical, breast, and prostate cancer screening and for treatment of tobacco dependence are not adequately followed. Coverage for breast and cervical cancer screening presented an overutilization bias, with rates 50% and 9% above the expected, respectively. The screening focus was also inadequate: 24%, 47%, and 54% of the screening tests for the three cancer types were performed in individuals outside the recommended age range. 31% of smokers were not approached for treatment. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that the Brazilian population has been subjected to inadequate and potentially iatrogenic interventions in PHC. New policies based on stricter criteria of adequacy and increased use of the concept of quaternary prevention may improve the effectiveness and equity of the health system.

Primary Care Assessment Tool: regional differences based on the National Health Survey from Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. / Primary Care Asssement Tool: diferenças regionais a partir da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística.

In 2019, unprecedentedly among the official statistical institutes worldwide, the IBGE included a particular module on evaluating primary health care in its central population-based population survey, the National Health Survey (PNS-2019). The survey considered the reduced version of the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT), developed and disseminated by Starfield and Shi, to assess the existence and extent of the structure and process characteristics of PHC services. It is the most significant probabilistic sample using this instrument ever conducted in a single country in the world that interviewed users aged 18 or over (n=9,677). The results of the Brazilian overall PCAT scores (5.9 [5.8; 5.9]) point to significant regional and intraregional contrasts, with the South of the country standing out with the best evaluations of primary care services (overall score = 6.3 [6.2; 6.5]) and the North with the worse (overall score = 5,5 [5,3; 5,7]). There were also statistically significant and more favorable differences between residents of households registered by family health teams, among older adults, and those using health services the most (adults with reported morbidities).

Em 2019, o Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) de forma inédita entre os institutos oficiais de estatística em todo o mundo, incluiu um módulo especial sobre avaliação da atenção primária à saúde em seu principal inquérito populacional de base domiciliar, a Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS). O inquérito considerou a versão reduzida do instrumento Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT), desenvolvida e disseminada por Starfield e Shi para avaliar a existência e extensão das características de estrutura e processos dos serviços de atenção primária em saúde. Trata-se da maior amostra probabilística com o uso desse instrumento já realizada em um único país do mundo que entrevistou usuários com 18 anos ou mais (n = 9.677). Os resultados dos escores gerais do PCAT do Brasil (5,9 [5,8; 5,9]) apontam grandes contrastes regionais e intraregionais, com a região Sul do país destacando-se com as melhores avaliações dos serviços de atenção primária (escore geral = 6,3 [6,2; 6,5]) e a região norte, por outro lado, com as menores (escore geral = 5,5 [5,3; 5,7]). Foram também observadas diferenças estatisticamente significantes e mais favoráveis entre os moradores de domicílios cadastrados pelas equipes de saúde da família, entre os mais idosos e entre que mais utilizam os serviços de saúde (adultos com morbidades referidas).

Primary Care Asssement Tool: diferenças regionais a partir da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística / Primary Care Assessment Tool: regional differences based on the National Health Survey from Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística

Resumo Em 2019, o Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) de forma inédita entre os institutos oficiais de estatística em todo o mundo, incluiu um módulo especial sobre avaliação da atenção primária à saúde em seu principal inquérito populacional de base domiciliar, a Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS). O inquérito considerou a versão reduzida do instrumento Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT), desenvolvida e disseminada por Starfield e Shi para avaliar a existência e extensão das características de estrutura e processos dos serviços de atenção primária em saúde. Trata-se da maior amostra probabilística com o uso desse instrumento já realizada em um único país do mundo que entrevistou usuários com 18 anos ou mais (n = 9.677). Os resultados dos escores gerais do PCAT do Brasil (5,9 [5,8; 5,9]) apontam grandes contrastes regionais e intraregionais, com a região Sul do país destacando-se com as melhores avaliações dos serviços de atenção primária (escore geral = 6,3 [6,2; 6,5]) e a região norte, por outro lado, com as menores (escore geral = 5,5 [5,3; 5,7]). Foram também observadas diferenças estatisticamente significantes e mais favoráveis entre os moradores de domicílios cadastrados pelas equipes de saúde da família, entre os mais idosos e entre que mais utilizam os serviços de saúde (adultos com morbidades referidas).

Abstract In 2019, unprecedentedly among the official statistical institutes worldwide, the IBGE included a particular module on evaluating primary health care in its central population-based population survey, the National Health Survey (PNS-2019). The survey considered the reduced version of the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT), developed and disseminated by Starfield and Shi, to assess the existence and extent of the structure and process characteristics of PHC services. It is the most significant probabilistic sample using this instrument ever conducted in a single country in the world that interviewed users aged 18 or over (n=9,677). The results of the Brazilian overall PCAT scores (5.9 [5.8; 5.9]) point to significant regional and intraregional contrasts, with the South of the country standing out with the best evaluations of primary care services (overall score = 6.3 [6.2; 6.5]) and the North with the worse (overall score = 5,5 [5,3; 5,7]). There were also statistically significant and more favorable differences between residents of households registered by family health teams, among older adults, and those using health services the most (adults with reported morbidities).

Validation of the Brazilian version of Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT) for Oral Health - PCATool Brazil Oral Health for Professionals.

This study verified the internal consistency and reliability of an instrument to evaluate dental services in Primary Health Care (PHC). In order to verify the factor validity, a factor analysis with principal component extraction and varimax orthogonal rotation method was used. Factors with three or more items with factor loadings greater than 0,35 were selected. This instrument's reliability was verified using internal consistency (total item correlation >0,30 and Cronbach alpha = or >0,70)). 562 dentists participated in the study. In the factor analysis, ten factors were kept, which explain 40,95% of the total variation. Regarding the internal consistency, only 3 items presented insufficient correlation. Also on internal consistency, using Cronbach's alpha, the following values of the coefficients were identified: Access (0.55), Continuity (0,74), Care Coordination (0,55), Coordination - Information System (0.21), Comprehensiveness of Services Available (0,91), Comprehensiveness of Services Provided (0,79), Family Orientation (0.66), Community Orientation (0,87), Cultural Competence (0,81). For the success ratio of the scale, all results were higher than 88%, less the "Information Systems" component (21%).

Innovations in the national household random sampling in Brazilian National Health Survey: results from Starfield and Shi's adult primary care assessment tool (PCAT).

BACKGROUND: Several middle and upper income countries carry out household surveys that seek to trace the profile of access and use of health services. Probably one of the most ambitious examples is Brazil, with its National Health Survey (PNS-2019). We evaluated PNS-2019, presenting in an unprecedented way, one of its innovations, which refer to Starfield and Shi's adult Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT). METHODS: Based on a cross-sectional study, we evaluated Module H of the PNS-2019, which interviewed a probabilistic sample of about 10,000 adults in 2019 in all 27 Brazilian states. According to the PCAT methodology, an average score equal to or above 6.6 indicates a greater orientation and quality of the evaluated primary care services. RESULTS: Brazilian overall PCAT score [5, 9] reveals the need to improve primary health care services across the country. There were no statistically significant differences in the scores by sex (men and women, 5.9), and race (whites 5.9 [5.7; 6.0] and brown / black 5.9 [5.8; 6.0]). On the other hand, there was a difference in terms of age. The elderly evaluated the services in a more positive way (score = 6.1 [6.0; 6.2]), when compared to those aged 40-59 years (5.9 [5.7; 6.0]) and 18 to 39 years (5.6 [5.5; 5.8]). First results of PNS-2019 show that the population that most needs primary care services in SUS is the one with the best perception and the most positive evaluation of the actions and procedures offered in health facilities. DISCUSSION: During 2019, Brazil undertook important structural reforms in PHC based on a new financing model with the aim of inducing an improvement in efficiency and strengthening its attributes. It is essential that countries with universal health coverage (UHC) guarantee access to their population and, especially, the most vulnerable, seek better efficiency of these services and regularly assess PHC based on the population's perception, through an independent methodology that monitor the quality of services and the strength of PHC, generating value for public resources applied to health services.

RESUMO: INTRODUçãO: Vários países de renda média e alta realizam pesquisas domiciliares que procuram traçar o perfil de acesso e uso dos serviços de saúde. Provavelmente um dos exemplos mais ambiciosos é o Brasil, com sua PNS. Avaliamos esse inquérito e apresentamos, de forma inédita uma de suas inovações, que se refere ao uso do instrumento Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT). MéTODOS: Com base em um estudo transversal, avaliamos o Módulo H da PNS-2019, que entrevistou uma amostra probabilística de cerca de 10.000 adultos em 2019 em todos os 27 estados brasileiros. De acordo com a metodologia do PCAT, um escore médio igual ou acima de 6,6 indica uma maior orientação e qualidade dos serviços de atenção primária avaliados. RESULTADOS: O escore médio geral do PCAT no Brasil foi de 5,9, revelando a necessidade de melhoria dos serviços de atenção primária à saúde em todo o país. Não houve diferenças estatisticamente significantes nos escores por sexo (homens e mulheres, 5,9) e raça (brancos 5,9 [5,7; 6,0] e pardos / pretos 5,9 [5,8; 6,0]). Por outro lado, houve diferença em termos de idade. Os idosos avaliaram os serviços de forma mais positiva (escore = 6,1 [6,0; 6,2]), quando comparados aos de 40­59 anos (5,9 [5,7; 6,0]) e 18 a 39 anos (5,6 [5,5; 5,8]). Os primeiros resultados da PNS-2019 mostram que a população que mais necessita dos serviços de atenção básica no SUS é aquela que tem melhor percepção e avaliação mais positiva das ações e procedimentos oferecidos nas unidades de saúde. DISCUSSãO: Durante o ano de 2019, o Brasil fez reformas estruturais importantes na APS a partir de um novo modelo de financiamento, com o objetivo de induzir uma melhoria da eficiência e fortalecer seus atributos. É fundamental que países com sistemas de saúde de cobertura universal, garantam acesso a sua população e, em especial, aos mais vulneráveis; busquem melhor eficiência desses serviços e avaliem regularmente a APS a partir da percepção da população, por meio de uma metodologia independente que monitore a qualidade dos serviços e a força da APS, gerando valor aos recursos públicos aplicados nos serviços de saúde.

Ophthalmic image acquired by ophthalmologists and by allied health personnel as part of a telemedicine strategy: a comparative study of image quality.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates the quality of ophthalmic images acquired by a nurse technician trained in teleophthalmology as compared with images acquired by an ophthalmologist, in order to provide a better understanding of the workforce necessary to operate remote care programs. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed on 2044 images obtained from 118 participants of the TeleOftalmo project, in Brazil. Fundus and slit-lamp photography were performed on site by an ophthalmologist and by a nurse technician under the supervision of a remote ophthalmologist. Image quality was then evaluated by masked ophthalmologists. Proportion of suitable images in each group was compared. RESULTS: The proportion of concordant classification regarding quality was 94.8%, with a corrected kappa agreement of 0.94. When analyzing each type of photo separately, there was no significant difference in the proportion of suitable images between on-site ophthalmologist and nurse technician with remote ophthalmologist assistance for the following: slit-lamp views of the anterior segment and anterior chamber periphery, and fundus photographs centered on the macula and on the optic disc (P = 0.825, P = 0.997, P = 0.194, and P = 0.449, respectively). For slit-lamp views of the lens, the proportion of suitable images was higher among those obtained by an ophthalmologist (99.6%) than by a technician (93.8%, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Ophthalmic photographs acquired by a trained technician consistently achieved >90% adequacy for remote reading. Compared with ophthalmologist-acquired photos, the proportion of images deemed suitable achieved a high overall agreement. These findings provide favorable evidence of the adequacy of teleophthalmological imaging by nurse technicians.

Validity and reliability of the Brazilian Primary Care Assessment Tool: Oral Health of Adults.

OBJECTIVE: To test the factorial validity and reliability of the Primary Care Assessment Tool adapted to Oral Health, adult patient version, an instrument used to verify the presence and extent of attributes in Primary Health Care services. METHODS: Population-based cross-sectional study using conglomerate random sample carried out in Primary Health Care Dental services in Porto Alegre between 2011 and 2013. We interviewed 407 adult patients who used Primary Health Care Dental services. Construct validity was tested through factorial validity and reliability of the Primary Care Assessment Tool, that comprises 81 items distributed throughout Primary Health Care attributes. Equamax orthogonal rotation method was used in the factorial analysis; and, in order to assess reliability of each component, we used the item-total correlation and the ratio of success of the scale. RESULTS: In the factorial analysis, 10 factors were retained, explaining 53.3% of the total variation. This result demonstrates the multidimensional structure of the instrument. The reliability assessment showed Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.39 to 0.89. For the success of the scale most of the results (eight of nine attributes) were greater than 85%. CONCLUSIONS: The instrument is valid for the assessment of oral health services in Primary Health Care from the perspective of adult patients, as well as for monitoring and evaluation of oral health services in Primary Health Care attributes and comparative studies.

Reasons for encounter in primary health care in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Primary health care (PHC) delivery in Brazil has improved in the last decades. However, it remains unknown whether the Family Health Strategy teams are meeting the health needs of the population. OBJECTIVES: To describe the reasons for encounter (RFEs) in PHC in Brazil and to examine variations in RFEs according to sex, age and geographic region. METHODS: This descriptive study is part of a national cross-sectional study conducted in 2016. The sample was stratified by the number of PHC physicians per geographic region. Physicians who had been working for at least 1 year in the same PHC unit were included. For every participating physician, 12 patients aged ≥18 years who had attended at least two encounters were included. Patients were asked about their RFEs, which were classified according to the International Classification of Primary Care. RESULTS: In 6160 encounters, a total of 8046 RFEs were coded. Seven reasons accounted for 50% of all RFEs. There was a high frequency of codes related to test results, medication renewal and preventive medicine. RFEs did not vary significantly by sex or geographic region, but they did by age group (P < 0.001). The rates of prescriptions, requests for investigations and referrals to specialized care were 71.1%, 42.8%, and 21.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This novel study opened the 'black box' of RFEs in PHC in Brazil. These findings can contribute to redefining the scope of PHC services and reorienting work practices in order to improve the quality of PHC in Brazil.

The use of telemedicine to support Brazilian primary care physicians in managing eye conditions: The TeleOftalmo Project.

PURPOSE: To determine whether teleophthalmology can help physicians in assessing and managing eye conditions and to ascertain which clinical conditions can be addressed by teleophthalmology in primary care setting. METHODS: We evaluated the resolution capacity of TeleOftalmo, strategy implemented in the public health system of southern Brazil. Resolution capacity was defined as the ability to fully address patients' eye complaints in primary care with remote assistance from ophthalmologists. Data from tele-eye reports were collected over 14 months. Resolution capacity was compared across different age groups and different ocular conditions. RESULTS: Overall, 8,142 patients had a tele-eye report issued in the study period. Resolution capacity was achieved in 5,748 (70.6%) patients. When stratified into age groups, the lowest capacity was 43.1% among subjects aged ≥65 years, while the highest was 89.7% among subjects aged 13-17 years (p<0.001). Refractive error (70.3%) and presbyopia (56.3%) were the most prevalent conditions followed by cataract (12.4%) and suspected glaucoma (7.6%). Resolution capacity was higher in cases of refractive error, presbyopia, spasm of accommodation and lid disorders than in patients diagnosed with other condition (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: With telemedicine support, primary care physicians solved over two-thirds of patients' eye or vision complaints. Refractive errors had high case resolution rates, thus having a great impact on reducing the number of referrals to specialty care. Teleophthalmology adoption in primary-care settings as part of the workup of patients with eye or vision complaints promotes a more effective use of specialty centers and will hopefully reduce waiting times for specialty referral.

Measuring the quality of primary care in national health surveys: Lessons from Brazil.

BACKGROUND: South Africa started to lead the cross-culturally validation and use of the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT) in Africa, when Professor Bresick filled a gap, as this continent was until then the only one that had never used it in evaluation of primary health care facilities until 2015. AIM: The authors aim to demonstrate that after the consolidation of Bresick's team to an African version of PCAT, it had been adapted to household survey in Brazil. METHODS: In this letter, authors reflect on how Brazil had adapted PCAT to a national random household survey with Brazilian National Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) - the Brazilian Census Bureau. RESULTS: In the the beginning of 2019, Brazilian Ministry of Health brought back the PCAT as the official national primary health care assessment tool. Brazilian National Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) included a new module (set of questions) in its National Health Survey (PNS-2019) and collected more than 100 000 households interviews in about 40% of the country's municipalities. This module had 25 questions of the Brazilian validated version of the adult reduced PCAT. CONCLUSION: We believe that IBGE innovation with the Ministry of Health can encourage South Africa to establish a similar partnership with its National Institute of Statistics (Statistics South Africa) for the country to establish a baseline for future planning of primary health care, for decision-making based on scientific evidence.

Impact of teleconsultations on the conduct of oral health teams in the Telehealth Brazil Networks Programme.

Telehealth has been applied in the Unified Health System (SUS) as a tool for qualifying professionals and improving the healthcare provided to the population served by the system. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of teleconsultations on the qualifications of the clinical approach of the oral health teams involved in primary health care (PHC) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul under the Telehealth Brazil Networks Programme. The sample population of the study was composed of 285 dentists and 132 oral health assistants belonging to the Family Health Teams. A chi-square test was used to investigate possible associations between the absolute number of teleconsultations performed and several independent variables, namely, gender, age, dental specialty, time since graduation, time working in the Family Health Strategy (FHS), employment status, type of training institution, familiarity with information technology, and work satisfaction at the health facility. The level of significance was p < 0.05. Use of the oral health teleconsultation service led to a reduction of more than 45% in the number of referrals to other levels of care. However, no significant association was found between the number of teleconsultations and the independent variables analysed. The use of teleconsultations proved to be a powerful tool for professional training, for increasing the effectiveness of PHC, and for improving the oral healthcare provided.

Presence and extension of the attributes of primary health care in public dental services in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil.

The objective was to compare the presence and extension of primary health care (PHC) in oral health services using the PHC attributes according to three different types of PHC organizational arrangements: Family Health Strategy (FHS), Community Health Service (CHS) and Traditional Primary Care (TPC). This is a cross-sectional study carried out between 2011-2013, following a cluster random sampling strategy. Adult users were interviewed from 15 health services of that 6 were managed by the CHS, 4 by the FHS and 5 by the TPC and which had the same oral health team for at least two years. The final sample was 407 users interviewed using the Primary Care Assessment Tool - Oral Health of Adults evaluation instrument and a sociodemographic questionnaire. PHC scores were calculated and transformed on a scale ranging from 0 to 10. For high scores, the cut-off point > 5.5 was used. Most of the interviewees were females, for the three types of services. The performance of CHS and FHS was higher than those of TPC in almost all attributes (p < 0.05). The extent of PHC attributes in services was poor (overall highest score was 5.75 in CHS). The CHS was the only service witch half of the users (83; 49.1%) rated oral health services as having a high overall score for PHC. It is concluded that there were differences among the organizational arrangements of PHC oral health services, however, there is much to be improved in the orientation of dental care services for PHC. More studies are necessary to evaluate the differences in PHC services considering oral health.

Presence and extension of the attributes of primary health care in public dental services in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil / Presença e abrangência de atributos da atenção primária em saúde em serviços públicos de saúde bucal em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil / Presencia y extensión de los atributos de la atención primaria de salud en servicios dentales públicos de Porto Alegre, Río Grande do Sul, Brasil

The objective was to compare the presence and extension of primary health care (PHC) in oral health services using the PHC attributes according to three different types of PHC organizational arrangements: Family Health Strategy (FHS), Community Health Service (CHS) and Traditional Primary Care (TPC). This is a cross-sectional study carried out between 2011-2013, following a cluster random sampling strategy. Adult users were interviewed from 15 health services of that 6 were managed by the CHS, 4 by the FHS and 5 by the TPC and which had the same oral health team for at least two years. The final sample was 407 users interviewed using the Primary Care Assessment Tool - Oral Health of Adults evaluation instrument and a sociodemographic questionnaire. PHC scores were calculated and transformed on a scale ranging from 0 to 10. For high scores, the cut-off point > 5.5 was used. Most of the interviewees were females, for the three types of services. The performance of CHS and FHS was higher than those of TPC in almost all attributes (p < 0.05). The extent of PHC attributes in services was poor (overall highest score was 5.75 in CHS). The CHS was the only service witch half of the users (83; 49.1%) rated oral health services as having a high overall score for PHC. It is concluded that there were differences among the organizational arrangements of PHC oral health services, however, there is much to be improved in the orientation of dental care services for PHC. More studies are necessary to evaluate the differences in PHC services considering oral health.

O estudo buscou comparar a presença e abrangência de atributos da atenção primária em saúde (APS) em serviços de saúde bucal, de acordo com três diferentes arranjos organizacionais de APS: Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF), Serviço de Saúde Comunitária (SSC) e Atenção Primária Tradicional (APT). O estudo transversal foi realizado entre 2011 e 2013, adotando uma estratégia de amostragem aleatória em clusters. Foram entrevistados adultos usuários de 15 serviços de saúde, sendo 6 do SSC, 4 da ESF e 5 da APT, e que mantinham a mesma equipe de saúde bucal há pelo menos dois anos. A amostra final consistiu em 407 usuários, entrevistados com o instrumento Primary Care Assessment Tool - Oral Health of Adults e com um questionário sociodemográfico. As pontuações de APS foram calculadas e transformadas em uma escala de 0 a 10. Para as pontuações altas, foi utilizado o ponto de corte de > 5,5. Nos três tipos de serviços, a maioria dos entrevistados era do sexo feminino. Em quase todos os atributos, o desempenho dos SSC e da ESF foi superior àquele da APT (p < 0,05). A abrangência dos atributos de APS foi baixa (a pontuação mais alta foi 5,75, no SSC). O SSC foi o único serviço em que a metade dos usuários (83; 49,1%) avaliou os serviços de saúde bucal com pontuação geral alta para APS. Conclui-se que havia diferenças entre os arranjos organizacionais de APS nos serviços de saúde bucal, mas há muito a melhorar na orientação dos serviços odontológicos na APS. São necessários mais estudos para avaliar as diferenças nos serviços de APS desde a perspectiva da saúde bucal.

El objetivo era comparar la presencia y extensión de la atención primaria de salud (APS) en cuanto a los servicios orales de salud oral, desde los atributos de la APS, según los tres tipos diferentes de modelos organizativos: Estrategia Salud de la Familia (ESF), Servicios Comunitarios de Salud (SCS) y Atención Primaria Tradicional (APT). Este es un estudio transversal que se llevó a cabo entre 2011-2013, siguiendo una estrategia de muestreo aleatorio por conglomerados. Los usuarios adultos fueron entrevistados en 15 servicios de salud, donde 6 estaban gestionados por SCS, 4 por ESF y 5 por APT y que habían contado con el mismo equipo de salud oral durante al menos dos años. La muestra final fue de 407 usuarios entrevistados, usando la herramienta de evaluación Primary Care Assessment Tool - Oral Health of Adults, así como un cuestionario sociodemográfico. Las puntuaciones de APS se calcularon y transformaron en una escala en un rango de 0 a 10. Para las puntuaciones más altas, se utilizó el punto de corte > 5.5. La mayoría de los entrevistados fueron mujeres en los tres tipos de servicios. El desempeño de los SCS y ESF fue mayor que en la APS en casi todos los atributos (p < 0,05). La extensión de los atributos de la APS en servicios fue escasa (la puntuación general más alta fue 5,75 en SCS). El SCS fue el único servicio con la mitad de usuarios (83; 49,1%) servicios cualificados de salud bucal, contando con una puntuación general alta para APS. Por lo que se concluye que existen diferencias entre los modelos organizativos de APS, respecto a los servicios orales de salud. No obstante, hay muchas cosas que deben ser mejoradas en la orientación de los servicios orales de salud relacionados con la APS. Se necesitan más estudios para evaluar las diferencias en los servicios de APS en relación con la salud bucal.

Validity and reliability of the Brazilian Primary Care Assessment Tool: Oral Health of Adults / Validade e confiabilidade da Ferramenta Brasileira de Avaliação da Atenção Básica: Saúde Bucal de Adultos

ABSTRACT: Objective: To test the factorial validity and reliability of the Primary Care Assessment Tool adapted to Oral Health, adult patient version, an instrument used to verify the presence and extent of attributes in Primary Health Care services. Methods: Population-based cross-sectional study using conglomerate random sample carried out in Primary Health Care Dental services in Porto Alegre between 2011 and 2013. We interviewed 407 adult patients who used Primary Health Care Dental services. Construct validity was tested through factorial validity and reliability of the Primary Care Assessment Tool, that comprises 81 items distributed throughout Primary Health Care attributes. Equamax orthogonal rotation method was used in the factorial analysis; and, in order to assess reliability of each component, we used the item-total correlation and the ratio of success of the scale. Results: In the factorial analysis, 10 factors were retained, explaining 53.3% of the total variation. This result demonstrates the multidimensional structure of the instrument. The reliability assessment showed Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.39 to 0.89. For the success of the scale most of the results (eight of nine attributes) were greater than 85%. Conclusions: The instrument is valid for the assessment of oral health services in Primary Health Care from the perspective of adult patients, as well as for monitoring and evaluation of oral health services in Primary Health Care attributes and comparative studies.

RESUMO: Objetivo: Testar a validade fatorial e a confiabilidade do Instrumento de Avaliação da Atenção Básica (Primary Care Assessment Tool - PCATool) adaptado à Saúde Bucal, versão do paciente adulto, que é um instrumento utilizado para verificar a presença e a extensão de atributos nos serviços de Atenção Primária à Saúde. Métodos: Estudo transversal de base populacional, utilizando amostra aleatória de conglomerados realizada nos serviços de Atenção Primária à Saúde Bucal de Porto Alegre entre 2011 e 2013. Foram entrevistados 407 pacientes adultos que utilizavam os serviços de saúde bucal da Atenção Primária à Saúde. A validade de construto foi testada por meio da validade fatorial e confiabilidade do PCATool, que compreende 81 itens distribuídos pelos atributos da Atenção Primária à Saúde. O método de rotação ortogonal Equamax foi utilizado na análise fatorial e, para avaliar a confiabilidade de cada componente, foi utilizada a correlação item-total e a razão de sucesso da escala. Resultados: Na análise fatorial, foram retidos 10 fatores, explicando 53,3% da variação total. Esse resultado demonstra a estrutura multidimensional do instrumento. A avaliação da confiabilidade mostrou valores de alfa de Cronbach variando de 0,39 a 0,89. Para a razão de sucesso da escala, a maioria dos resultados (oito de nove atributos) foi superior a 85%. Conclusão: O instrumento é válido para a avaliação dos serviços de saúde bucal na Atenção Primária à Saúde na perspectiva de pacientes adultos, bem como para o monitoramento e a avaliação dos atributos dos serviços de saúde bucal na Atenção Primária à Saúde e estudos comparativos.

Impact of teleconsultations on the conduct of oral health teams in the Telehealth Brazil Networks Programme

Abstract Telehealth has been applied in the Unified Health System (SUS) as a tool for qualifying professionals and improving the healthcare provided to the population served by the system. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of teleconsultations on the qualifications of the clinical approach of the oral health teams involved in primary health care (PHC) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul under the Telehealth Brazil Networks Programme. The sample population of the study was composed of 285 dentists and 132 oral health assistants belonging to the Family Health Teams. A chi-square test was used to investigate possible associations between the absolute number of teleconsultations performed and several independent variables, namely, gender, age, dental specialty, time since graduation, time working in the Family Health Strategy (FHS), employment status, type of training institution, familiarity with information technology, and work satisfaction at the health facility. The level of significance was p < 0.05. Use of the oral health teleconsultation service led to a reduction of more than 45% in the number of referrals to other levels of care. However, no significant association was found between the number of teleconsultations and the independent variables analysed. The use of teleconsultations proved to be a powerful tool for professional training, for increasing the effectiveness of PHC, and for improving the oral healthcare provided.