[Provision of health care actions and services for the management of HIV/AIDS from the users' perspective]. / Oferta de ações e serviços de saúde para o mancejo do HIV/aids, sob a perspectiva dos usuários.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the provision of health care actions and services for people living with AIDS and receiving specialised care in Ribeirão Preto, SP. METHOD: A descriptive, exploratory, survey-type study that consisted of interviews with structured questionnaires and data analysis using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The provision of health care actions and services is perceived as fair. For the 301 subjects, routine care provided by the reference team, laboratory tests and the availability of antiretroviral drugs, vaccines and condoms obtained satisfactory evaluations. The provision of tests for the prevention and diagnosis of comorbidities was assessed as fair, whereas the provisions of specialised care by other professionals, psychosocial support groups and medicines for the prevention of antiretroviral side effects were assessed as unsatisfactory. CONCLUSION: Shortcomings were observed in follow-up and care management along with a predominantly biological, doctor-centred focus in which clinical control and access to antiretroviral therapy comprise the essential focus of the care provided.


Health services performance for TB treatment in Brazil: a cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Researches to evaluate Primary Health Care performance in TB control in Brazil show that different cities aggregate local specificities in the dynamics of coping with the disease. This study aims to evaluate health services' performance in TB treatment in cities across different Brazilian regions. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in five cities that are considered priorities for TB control in Brazil: Itaboraí (ITA), Ribeirão Preto (RP) and São José do Rio Preto (SJRP) in the Southeast; Campina Grande (CG) and Feira de Santana (FS) in the Northeast. Data were collected through interviews with 514 TB patients under treatment in 2007, using the Primary Care Assessment Tool adapted for TB care in Brazil. Indicators were constructed based on the mean response scores (Likert scale) and compared among the study sites. RESULTS: "Access to treatment" was evaluated as satisfactory in the Southeast and regular in the Northeast, which displayed poor results on 'home visits' and 'distance between treatment site and patient's house'. "Bond" was assessed as satisfactory in all cities, with a slightly better performance in RP and SJRP. "Range of services" was rated as regular, with better performance of southeastern cities. 'Health education', 'DOT' and 'food vouchers' were less offered in the Northeast. "Coordination" was evaluated as satisfactory in all cities. "Family focus" was evaluated as satisfactory in RP and SJRP, and regular in the others. 'Professional asking patient's family about other health problems' was evaluated as unsatisfactory, except in RP. CONCLUSIONS: Two types of obstacles are faced for health service performance in TB treatment in the cities under analysis, mainly in the Northeast. The first is structural and derives from difficulties to access health services and actions. The second is organizational and derives from the way health technologies and services are distributed and integrated. Incentives to improve care organization and management practices, aimed at the integration of primary, secondary and tertiary services, can contribute towards a better performance of health services in TB treatment.

Qualidade de vida dos portadores de hanseníase num município de médio porte / The quality of life of Hansen’s disease patients in a medium-sized city

Modelo do estudo: estudo do tipo transversal. Objetivos: descrever o perfil epidemiológico dos portadores de hanseníase de Uberaba-MG, avaliar a qualidade de vida e verificar a associação dos domínios da qualidade de vida com variáveis epidemiológicas e sociodemográficas. Métodos: Para a avaliação da qualidade de vida, foram aplicados o instrumento proposto pela Organização Mundial de Saúde (WHOQOL-bref) e um questionário do perfil epidemiológico construído pelos autores. Utilizaram-se a análise estatística descritiva e os testes T-Student e Mann-Whitney. Participaram da pesquisa 29 portadores de hanseníase. Resultados: Houve predomínio do sexo masculino, casados, com baixas escolaridade e renda. Encontraram-se os maiores escores de qualidade de vida nos domínios relações sociais e psicológicas; os fatores ambiental e físico obtiveram os menores escores. Foi observada melhor qualidade de vida em indivíduos com mais de 60 anos, nos domínios relações sociais (p=0,0267) e ambiental (p=0,0359); casados, no domínio físico (p=0,0495); e com baixa escolaridade, nos domínios físico(p=0,03) e psicológico (p=0,0084). Conclusões: O estudo permitiu verificar os aspectos de vulnerabilidade e de suporte dos portadores de hanseníase, apresentando-se melhor qualidade de vida em indivíduos idosos, casados e com baixa escolaridade.

Study model: cross-sectional study. Objectives: describe the epidemiological profile of HD patients in Uberaba, Minas Gerais, assess their quality of life and verify the association of quality of life with epidemiological and sociodemographic variables. Methods: In order to evaluate the quality of life, we applied the instrument proposed by the World Health Organization (WHOQOL-bref) and a questionnaireof the epidemiological profile built by the authors. The descriptive statistical analysis and the T-Studentand Mann-Whitney tests were used. Participation consisted of 29 HD patients. Results: There was apredominance of married male patients with low education and income. The highest quality of life scoreswere found in social and psychological relationships; the environmental and physical factors obtainedthe lowest scores. We observed better quality of life in individuals over the age of 60, in social (p=0.0267)and environmental (p=0.0359) relationships; married, in the physical aspect (p=0.0495); and with loweducation, in the physical (p=0.03) and psychological (p=0.0084) aspects. Conclusions: The studydemonstrated the aspects of vulnerability and support to HD patients, presenting better quality of life inelderly, married individuals with low education.