[Theoretical background for the construction and establishment of quality indicators in health]. / Subsídios teóricos para a construção e implantação de indicadores de qualidade em saúde.

The indicators integrate a number of important tools to evaluate and monitor quality of a service, concerning access to effectiveness, efficacy, confidence and completeness of work processes, which can be a valuable practice to assess health services. Thus, the aim of this study is to describe the elements of this construction and to establish indicators. Consequently, theoretical background of various specialists and organizations were adopted, in order to discuss quality issues and evaluate health services. It was concluded that in the management area, the use of indicators favors the identification of problems, subsidize actions and effective decisions, monitoring its development. Regarding the assistance area, it facilitates the review of the adopted protocols and of the obtained results, aiming to reach patterns of excellence. In the teaching and research areas, it makes available a valid instrument for the scientific community, articulating interests and demands of services and researches.