Escopo de prática de médicos em atenção primária em saúde no Brasil / Scope of practice of doctors in primary health care in Brazil

O escopo de prática de profissionais da Atenção Primária em Saúde (APS) e seus determinantes têm sido objeto de estudos em diversos países que buscam maneiras inovadoras para responder aos cenários de escassez e má distribuição de profissionais, principalmente de médicos. Recentemente, o escopo de prática também entrou na pauta de planejadores de Recursos Humanos em Saúde (RHS) no Brasil. Entretanto, estudos nesta temática no país ainda são escassos. A presente tese tem por objetivo investigar o escopo de prática de médicos que atuam na APS no Brasil. Adicionalmente, realizar uma revisão de estratégias de flexibilização da regulação e dos escopos de prática de profissionais de saúde que vêm sendo adotadas e recomendados internacionalmente, considerando o cenário atual da pandemia da COVID-19. Foram elaborados três estudos no âmbito desta tese. No Estudo 1, foram analisados dados de um estudo exploratório, de corte transversal, por meio de um survey on-line, com 2.277 médicos da APS, para identificar diferenças no escopo de prática de médicos que atuam nesse nível de atenção e levantar os principais fatores associados à expansão da prática em áreas rurais e urbanas no Brasil. Diferenças em relação às atividades e procedimentos realizados pelos médicos por localidade foram investigados pelos testes Kruskal-Wallist/Dunn's Post Hoc e Qui-quadrado. Os fatores associados a um escopo de prática ampliado foram avaliados por meio de regressão linear com inferência via método bootstrap. No Estudo 2, com o objetivo de delinear o perfil do médico no Brasil, considerando os determinantes e a abrangência do escopo de prática, foram analisados dados de um segundo estudo exploratório, de corte transversal, com 830 médicos de diferentes níveis de atenção. O método utilizado foi o Grade of Membership (GoM), a partir do qual foram gerados quatro perfis de médicos, considerando o grupo da especialidade de atuação, a abrangência do escopo e os determinantes: 1) aspectos pessoais; 2) formação; 3) localidade de atuação. No Estudo 3, foi realizada uma revisão de escopo (scoping review) com o objetivo de identificar as principais estratégias internacionais relacionadas a medidas de flexibilização de regulação das práticas de profissionais de saúde que vêm sendo adotadas e/ou recomendadas no contexto da pandemia da COVID-19. No Estudo 1, independentemente da localização, os resultados revelaram que médicos da APS estão praticando aquém de suas competências. Médicos rurais, no entanto, declararam realizar uma média maior de procedimentos e ações de saúde em comparação com seus pares em municípios intermediários e urbanos. Considerando a amostra geral, as variáveis relacionadas a um escopo de prática ampliado incluíram sexo masculino, trabalhar em municípios rurais, participar de programas de educação permanente e consultar protocolos clínicos, livros e artigos. No Estudo 2, os resultados sugerem que a abrangência do escopo de prática pode ser analisada por meio de quatro perfis de médicos. Os perfis 1 e 2 apresentaram maior probabilidade de um escopo de prática mais abrangente e possuem similaridades, como atuar em especialidades da APS, em Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS), em áreas descritas como rurais, inseguras/violentas e urbanas com escassez de médicos. Os médicos dos perfis 3 e 4 possuem em escopo de prática menos abrangente, em especial os do perfil 4. Ambos os grupos são de médicos brasileiros, que possuem Registro de Qualificação da Especialidade (RQE) e têm maior probabilidade de atuarem em áreas urbanas sem escassez ou dificuldade de fixar médicos. No Estudo 3, a revisão incluiu 36 documentos. As seguintes estratégias foram identificadas: 1) ampliação de escopo de prática de profissionais de saúde; 2) transferência de funções e atividades de uma categoria profissional para outra (task-shifting); 3) autorização para faturamento e atendimento via telemedicina; 4) licenciamento e recrutamento de profissionais não ativos; 5) recrutamento de profissionais de outras regiões/Estados; 6) mudanças na formação e oferta de treinamento. Os três estudos evidenciam que há variações importantes na prática de profissionais, que devem ser analisadas de forma mais aprofundada. O reconhecimento dessas diferenças pode ser relevante para determinar a competência, a formação e os recursos necessários para a prática de médicos em diferentes localidades em busca de uma melhora na qualidade e acesso a serviços de saúde. O Estudo 3 revela que muitos países estão experimentando novas maneiras de potencializar sua força de trabalho em saúde durante a pandemia. Talvez uma das estratégias mais importantes em resposta a situações de escassez de profissionais tem sido a flexibilidade e a disposição para adaptar, ampliar e redistribuir as atividades da prática de profissionais de saúde. A revisão evidencia a importância em se realizarem reformas na regulação da prática de profissionais, buscando otimizar a força de trabalho em saúde existente, para que esta possa atender de forma rápida as necessidades de saúde da população.

The scope of practice of Primary Health Care (PHC) professionals and its determinants has been the subject of studies in several countries that seeks innovative ways to respond to scenarios of shortage and poor distribution of professionals, especially physicians. Recently, the scope of practice has also entered the agenda of Health Human Resource (HRH) planners in Brazil. However, the number of studies on this topic in the country is still low. The present thesis aims to investigate the scope of practice of PHC physicians in Brazil and its main determinants. In addition, carry out a literature review on strategies of reducing barriers of health professionals' scope of practice regulations that have been recommended and/or implemented internationally, considering the current scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic. We developed three studies within this thesis. In Study 1, we analyzed data from an exploratory cross-sectional study, through an online survey, with 2.277 PHC physicians to identify differences in primary care physicians' scope of practice and to raise the main factors associated with expanded practice in rural and urban areas of Brazil. Differences regarding activities and procedures performed by physicians per location were verified by Kruskal-Wallis/Dunn's Post Hoc and Chi-square tests. Multivariate linear regression analyses were done using the bootstrap technique to identify the main factors associated with an expanded scope of practice. Study 2 aimed to define the profile of physicians in Brazil, considering their scope of practice and its determinants; we used data of a cross-sectional study, with 830 physicians of different levels of care. We used the method Grade of Membership (GoM). Four physicians' profiles were gendered, considering medical specialty, the scope of practice, and the following determinants: i: personal factors, ii. education, and iii practice location. In Study 3 we carried out a scoping review to identify the main international strategies to reduce practice barriers of health professionals' regulations that have been recommended and/or implemented in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Study 1 regardless of the location, the results showed that primary care physicians are practicing below their competencies. Rural physicians performed a higher number of procedures and activities compared with their peers from intermediate and urban municipalities. Within the overall sample, the variables related to a broader scope of practice included: male gender, working in rural municipalities, participating in training and continuing education programs, and consulting clinical protocols, articles, and books. In Study 2 the results suggest that the scope of practice can be analyzed through four physicians' profiles. Profile 1 and 2 were more likely to have a broader scope of practice and showed similarities concerning working o PHC facilities and specialties, in areas described as rural, unsafe/violent, and urban with a shortage of physicians. Physicians of profiles 3 and 4 have a less comprehensive scope of practice, especially those in profile 4. Both groups are Brazilian physicians who have the Qualification of Specialty Registration and are more likely to work in urban areas without physician shortage. In Study 3 the scoping review included 36 documents. The following strategies were identified: 1) enhancing health professionals' scope of practice; 2) task-shifting from one professional category to another; 3) authorization and billing of telemedicine; 4) licensing and recruitment of non-active professionals; 5) changes in education and provision of targeted training. The three studies show that there are important variants in professionals' practice, which must be analyzed in more depth. The recognition of these differences can be relevant to determine the competencies, training, and recourses required for physicians practicing in different locations, seeking to improve the quality and access of health care services. Study 3 reveals that many countries are experimenting with new ways to enhance their health workforce during the pandemic. Perhaps one of the most important strategies in response to scenarios of professional's shortage and quickly meeting the needs of the population, has been the flexibility and willingness to adapt, expand and redistribute activities of health professionals. The review highlights the importance of carrying out reforms in the professional scope of practice regulations, to optimize the available health workforce, to quickly meet the health needs of the population.

[Preferences for work in primary care among medical students in Minas Gerais State, Brazil: evidence from a discrete choice experiment]. / Preferências para o trabalho na atenção primária por estudantes de medicina em Minas Gerais, Brasil: evidências de um experimento de preferência declarada.

This article presents the results of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) conducted in 2012 with 277 final-year medical students from Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The experiment tested students' preferences concerning future work as physicians in primary health care, based on hypothetical job scenarios aimed at measuring the likelihood of placement in areas with a shortage of doctors. Application of DCE involved (i) a qualitative stage to define the attributes and their respective levels to comprise the job scenarios, (ii) construction and application of the instrument, and (iii) analysis with application of multinomial logit with conditional probability to estimate the weight of attributes and to construct scenarios for choice probability. The results indicate that the job attribute that most impacted students' choice was location, followed by job conditions, pay, access to medical residency, type of employment relationship, and workload. Students from private medical schools, with higher family income, and females were generally more likely to resist job assignments in unsafe urban areas and remote areas of the countryside. The job scenarios that proved most plausible in terms of public intervention were those that combined middle-level wages, good working conditions, and 10 to 20 bonus points on medical residency exams.

Preferências para o trabalho na atenção primária por estudantes de medicina em Minas Gerais, Brasil: evidências de um experimento de preferência declarada / Preferences for work in primary care among medical students in Minas Gerais State, Brazil: evidence from a discrete choice experiment / Preferencias para el trabajo en la atención primaria por parte de estudiantes de medicina en Minas Gerais, Brasil: evidencias de un experimento de preferencia declarada

Este artigo tem por objetivo apresentar os resultados da aplicação de um experimento de preferência declarada (DCE - discrete choice experiment) realizado em 2012 com 277 estudantes do último ano dos cursos de medicina do Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. O experimento permitiu investigar as preferências dos estudantes sobre o trabalho futuro como médicos na atenção primária à saúde, com base em de cenários de emprego hipotéticos que visavam aferir a probabilidade de deslocamento para áreas com escassez de médicos. A aplicação do DCE envolveu (i) uma etapa qualitativa para definição dos atributos e seus respectivos níveis que comporiam os cenários de emprego, (ii) uma etapa de construção e aplicação do instrumento e (iii) uma etapa de análise com a aplicação de logit multinomial de probabilidade condicional para estimativa dos pesos de cada atributo e construção de cenários de probabilidade de escolha. Os resultados apontaram que o atributo do emprego que mais impactou a escolha dos respondentes foi o de localização do trabalho, seguido por condições de trabalho, remuneração, acesso à residência médica, tipo de vínculo e carga de trabalho. Constatou-se que os entrevistados de faculdades privadas, com maior renda familiar e do sexo feminino, em geral, têm maior resistência para deslocar-se para as regiões urbanas inseguras e áreas remotas do interior. Os cenários de emprego que se mostraram mais plausíveis em termos de intervenção pública foram aqueles que combinavam os salários de valores intermediários, boas condições de trabalho e obtenção de 10 a 20 pontos adicionais nos exames de residência médica.

This article presents the results of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) conducted in 2012 with 277 final-year medical students from Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The experiment tested students' preferences concerning future work as physicians in primary health care, based on hypothetical job scenarios aimed at measuring the likelihood of placement in areas with a shortage of doctors. Application of DCE involved (i) a qualitative stage to define the attributes and their respective levels to comprise the job scenarios, (ii) construction and application of the instrument, and (iii) analysis with application of multinomial logit with conditional probability to estimate the weight of attributes and to construct scenarios for choice probability. The results indicate that the job attribute that most impacted students' choice was location, followed by job conditions, pay, access to medical residency, type of employment relationship, and workload. Students from private medical schools, with higher family income, and females were generally more likely to resist job assignments in unsafe urban areas and remote areas of the countryside. The job scenarios that proved most plausible in terms of public intervention were those that combined middle-level wages, good working conditions, and 10 to 20 bonus points on medical residency exams.

This article presents the results of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) conducted in 2012 with 277 final-year medical students from Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The experiment tested students' preferences concerning future work as physicians in primary health care, based on hypothetical job scenarios aimed at measuring the likelihood of placement in areas with a shortage of doctors. Application of DCE involved (i) a qualitative stage to define the attributes and their respective levels to comprise the job scenarios, (ii) construction and application of the instrument, and (iii) analysis with application of multinomial logit with conditional probability to estimate the weight of attributes and to construct scenarios for choice probability. The results indicate that the job attribute that most impacted students' choice was location, followed by job conditions, pay, access to medical residency, type of employment relationship, and workload. Students from private medical schools, with higher family income, and females were generally more likely to resist job assignments in unsafe urban areas and remote areas of the countryside. The job scenarios that proved most plausible in terms of public intervention were those that combined middle-level wages, good working conditions, and 10 to 20 bonus points on medical residency exams.

Scope of practice in Primary Care: physicians and nurses in five health regions in Brazil / Escopos de prática na Atenção Primária: médicos e enfermeiros em cinco regiões de saúde do Brasil

Objectives: The review on scopes of practice tends to gain importance in Human Resource in Health agenda in Brazil. The aim of this study was to investigate the scope of practice of physicians and nurses who work in the Atenção Primária em Saúde (APS) (Primary Healthcare) and their main barriers. Methods: this is an exploratory qualitative study conducted in 2015 and 2016, through interviews with 26 physicians and 26 nurses who work in the APS in 12 cities distributed in five Brazilian health regions. Results: physicians and nurses in the health region of the North and Northeast performed a great number of procedures, and those physicians who work in units located in rural areas. Both professional categories indicated that they knew how to carry out several procedures that were not performed in practice. The main barriers for not performing those procedures include, lack of access to exams, materials and inadequate infrastructure, protocols and city guides restrictions, legal restrictions and lack of training. Conclusions: the results suggests the need to ease the health professionals’ attributions, facilitate the integration between the professionals’ practices and optimizing their work, especially in remote and unassisted regions, in order to be in favor of expanding the access and problem solving in APS.

Objetivos: A revisão dos escopos de prática tende a ganhar importância crescente na agenda dos Recursos Humanos em Saúde no Brasil. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar o escopo de prática de médicos e enfermeiros que atuam na Atenção Primária em Saúde (APS) e suas principais barreiras. Métodos: trata-se de um estudo exploratório de natureza qualitativa realizado em 2015 e 2016, por meio de entrevistas com 26 médicos e 26 enfermeiros que atuam na APS em 12 municípios, distribuídos em cinco regiões de saúde brasileiras. Resultados: médicos e enfermeiros em regiões de saúde no Norte e Nordeste realizam maior número de procedimentos, e ainda aqueles médicos que atuam em unidades localizadas em áreas rurais. Ambas as categorias profissionais indicaram saber realizar diversos procedimentos que não são realizados na prática. As principais barreiras para a não realização dos mesmos incluem, entre outras, falta de acesso a exames, insumos e infraestrutura inadequada, restrições de protocolos e guias municipais, restrições legais e a falta de capacitação. Conclusões: os resultados sugerem a necessidade de flexibilizar as atribuições dos profissionais de saúde, facilitando a integração entre as práticas destes profissionais, e otimizando seu trabalho, principalmente naquelas regiões mais remotas e desassistidas, de forma a favorecer a ampliação do acesso e resolutividade na APS.

Impact of the Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program in reducing physician shortage in Brazilian Primary Healthcare. / Impacto do Programa Mais Médicos na redução da escassez de médicos em Atenção Primária à Saúde.

The Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program (PMM) was put in place in Brazil aiming to reduce inequalities in access to Primary Healthcare. Based on diverse evidence that pointed to a scenario of profound shortage of doctors in the country, one of its central thrusts was emergency provision of these professionals in vulnerable areas, referred to as the Mais Médicos para o Brasil (More Doctors for Brazil) Project. The article analyses the impact of the PMM in reducing shortage of physicians in Brazilian municipalities. To do this, it uses the Primary Healthcare Physicians Shortage Index, which identifies and measures the shortage in the periods of March 2003 and September 2015, before and after implementation of the program. The results show that there was a substantial increase in the supply of physicians in primary healthcare in the period, which helped reduce the number of municipalities with shortage from 1,200 to 777. This impact also helped reduce inequalities between municipalities, but the inequities in distribution persisted. It was also found that there was a reduction in the regular supply of doctors made by municipalities, suggesting that these were being simply substituted by the supply coming from the program. Thus, an overall situation of insecurity in care persists, reflecting the dependence of municipalities on the physician supply from the federal government.

Assessment of the scope of practice of physicians participating in the Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program, and associated factors. / Avaliação do escopo de prática de médicos participantes do Programa Mais Médicos e fatores associados.

The purpose of this study was to characterize the scope of practice of physicians working in primary healthcare participating in the Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program ('PMM') and investigate the factors associated with execution of a larger number of clinical activities. It is an exploratory study carried over January to March 2016, through a self-applied questionnaire containing a list of 49 procedures, activities and actions carried out in primary healthcare. A total of 1,241 physicians took part in the study, most of them female, between age 40 and 49, and of Cuban nationality. The physicians carried out an average of 22.8 ± 8.2 procedures; they reported knowing how to carry out a larger number of procedures. Factors associated with executing a larger number of procedures were: being male, having graduated more recently, two years or less practicing in their primary healthcare unit, practicing in the North or South geographical regions, in small towns and more distant from the regional health headquarters. The main reason for not carrying out the procedures and activities that they reported knowing how to do was the lack of materials and inadequate infrastructure. The results show that the scope of practice of the physicians of the PMM is lower than their capacities, and that interventions with the intention of widening their scope are necessary.

Avaliação do escopo de prática de médicos participantes do Programa Mais Médicos e fatores associados / Assessment of the scope of practice of physicians participating in the Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program, and associated factors

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar o escopo de prática de médicos inseridos na Atenção Primária em Saúde (APS), participantes do Programa Mais Médicos (PMM) e investigar os fatores associados à execução de maior número de atividades clínicas. Trata-se de um estudo exploratório transversal realizado entre janeiro e março de 2016, por meio de questionário autoaplicável, contendo uma lista de 49 procedimentos, atividades e ações realizadas na APS. Participaram do estudo 1.241 médicos, a maioria do sexo feminino, entre 40-49 anos de idade, de nacionalidade cubana. Os médicos realizaram uma média de 22,8 ± 8,2 procedimentos, porém, relataram saber fazer um número maior. Fatores associados à realização de maior número de procedimentos foram sexo masculino, menor tempo de graduação, dois anos ou menos de atuação na UBS, atuar na região geográfica Norte ou Sul, em municípios de pequeno porte e mais distantes da sede da região de saúde. O principal motivo para não realizar os procedimentos e atividades que relataram saber fazer foi a falta de materiais e a infraestrutura inadequada. Os resultados revelam que o escopo de prática dos médicos do PMM está abaixo de suas capacidades, sendo necessárias intervenções para o ampliar.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to characterize the scope of practice of physicians working in primary healthcare participating in the Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program (‘PMM') and investigate the factors associated with execution of a larger number of clinical activities. It is an exploratory study carried over January to March 2016, through a self-applied questionnaire containing a list of 49 procedures, activities and actions carried out in primary healthcare. A total of 1,241 physicians took part in the study, most of them female, between age 40 and 49, and of Cuban nationality. The physicians carried out an average of 22.8 ± 8.2 procedures; they reported knowing how to carry out a larger number of procedures. Factors associated with executing a larger number of procedures were: being male, having graduated more recently, two years or less practicing in their primary healthcare unit, practicing in the North or South geographical regions, in small towns and more distant from the regional health headquarters. The main reason for not carrying out the procedures and activities that they reported knowing how to do was the lack of materials and inadequate infrastructure. The results show that the scope of practice of the physicians of the PMM is lower than their capacities, and that interventions with the intention of widening their scope are necessary.

Impacto do Programa Mais Médicos na redução da escassez de médicos em Atenção Primária à Saúde / Impact of the Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program in reducing physician shortage in Brazilian Primary Healthcare

Resumo O Programa Mais Médicos (PMM) foi implantado no Brasil com o objetivo de reduzir as desigualdades no acesso à Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS). Baseado em diversas evidências que apontavam para um cenário de profunda escassez de médicos no país, um dos seus eixos de ação foi a provisão emergencial desses profissionais em áreas vulneráveis, denominado de Projeto Mais Médicos para o Brasil. O artigo analisa o impacto do PMM na redução da escassez de médicos nos municípios brasileiros. Para tanto, lança mão do Índice de Escassez de Médicos em APS, o qual a identifica e a mensura nos períodos março de 2013 e setembro de 2015, antes e depois da implantação do programa. Os resultados mostram que ocorreu um substantivo aumento na oferta de médicos em APS no período, o que contribuiu para reduzir o número de municípios com escassez desses profissionais de 1.200 para 777. Este impacto também contribuiu para reduzir as desigualdades entre os municípios, mas as iniquidades distributivas permaneceram. Foi verificado ainda que ocorreu uma redução na oferta regular de médicos pelos municípios, sugerindo uma substituição da mesma pela do programa. Assim, permaneceu um quadro de insegurança assistencial em função da dependência dos municípios em relação ao provimento federal.

Abstract The Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program (PMM) was put in place in Brazil aiming to reduce inequalities in access to Primary Healthcare. Based on diverse evidence that pointed to a scenario of profound shortage of doctors in the country, one of its central thrusts was emergency provision of these professionals in vulnerable areas, referred to as the Mais Médicos para o Brasil (More Doctors for Brazil) Project. The article analyses the impact of the PMM in reducing shortage of physicians in Brazilian municipalities. To do this, it uses the Primary Healthcare Physicians Shortage Index, which identifies and measures the shortage in the periods of March 2003 and September 2015, before and after implementation of the program. The results show that there was a substantial increase in the supply of physicians in primary healthcare in the period, which helped reduce the number of municipalities with shortage from 1,200 to 777. This impact also helped reduce inequalities between municipalities, but the inequities in distribution persisted. It was also found that there was a reduction in the regular supply of doctors made by municipalities, suggesting that these were being simply substituted by the supply coming from the program. Thus, an overall situation of insecurity in care persists, reflecting the dependence of municipalities on the physician supply from the federal government.