Comparison Between Students Admitted Through Regular Path and Affirmative Action Systems in a Brazilian Public Medical School.

Purpose: Affirmative action policies to provide access to higher education for socially vulnerable students have been implemented in several countries and have faced many questions nowadays. The aim of the study was to compare the socioeconomic background and performance during and after completing the undergraduate course of students admitted through the regular path and social quota systems in a public medical school in Brazil. Methods: A retrospective cohort study including students admitted to a medical school within the School of Health Sciences (ESCS), in Brazil, between 2005 and 2012, and followed until May 2020. In the first phase, data collection was performed by analyzing documents from the ESCS academic management system and Brazilian government agencies. In the second phase, a survey with 12 questions was sent to the medical school alumni. The social quota system criteria were the public school attendance in all primary and secondary education levels. Results: Among 707 students, 204 (28.9%) were from the social quota and 503 (78.5%) from the regular path system. The place of residence of social quota students had a lower Human Development Index (p < 0.001) and per capita income (p < 0.001) when compared to regular path students. Regular path students were associated with the highest dropout from medical school (OR: 50.552, 95% CI: 12.438-205.453, p < 0.001). There was no difference between regular path and social quota students attending medical residency programs (OR: 1.780, 95% CI: 0.957-3.309, p = 0.069). Out of the 308 alumni who completed the survey, regular path students had more family members who were health professionals than social quota students (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences regarding monthly income, job satisfaction, employment, or management activities. Conclusion: Affirmative action targeted students with a disadvantaged socioeconomic background. Regular path students had a higher dropout rate than social quota students.

Nursing students admitted through the affirmative action system display similar performance in professional and academic trajectories to those from the regular path in a public school in Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: Affirmative action providing higher education access for socially vulnerable students has been implemented in several countries. However, these policies remain controversial. This study compares the performance of students admitted through the regular path and social quota systems, during and after completion of nursing education, in a public nursing school in Brazil. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included all students admitted to nursing school at the School of Health Sciences (ESCS), Brazil, between 2009 and 2014, who were followed until May 2020. The first phase involved document analysis from the ESCS academic management system and Brazilian government agencies. In the second phase, a survey was conducted among the alumni. The social quota system criterion was public school attendance across all primary and secondary education levels. RESULTS: Of the 448 students included in the study, 178 (39.7%) were from the affirmative action and 270 (60.3%) from the regular path systems. Affirmative action students were older at the time of nursing school admission (p < 0.001) and took longer to be admitted to the nursing school (p < 0.001) after completing high school. There were no significant differences in the dropout rates and years to complete nursing school. In the second phase, 108 alumni answered the survey. No significant differences were found in their participation in the undergraduate scientific research program and university extension projects, attending residency programs, getting a master's degree and doctoral degree, monthly income, teaching activity, joining public service through a government job competition process, participation in management activities in the private and public health sector, and degree of job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Our results revealed that affirmative action is a policy that contributes to the reduction of inequalities and guarantees the training of nursing professionals with a similar professional qualification received through affirmative action and regular path systems.

Active health Ombudsman service: evaluation of the quality of delivery and birth care.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the active health Ombudsman service as an instrument to evaluate the quality of delivery and birth care in the Cegonha Network of the Federal District of Brazil. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of the telephone survey type carried out with 1,007 mothers with deliveries between October 15, 2013 and November 19, 2013 in the twelve public maternity hospitals that make up the Cegonha Network of the Federal District of Brazil. The instrument has 25 multiple choice or Likert scale questions, including sociodemographic data and acceptability evaluation in five domains: accessibility, relationship between the patient and health professionals, conditions of the structure of the service, information to the patient, and equity and opinion of the patient. We have studied qualitative or categorical variables according to the frequency and distribution of proportions. We have used the score transformed into a scale from zero to 100 for the analysis of the Likert-type scale questions. Results have been expressed as mean and standard deviation. RESULTS: Access to prenatal appointments was evaluated as good or excellent by 86.1% of the participants and laboratory tests was evaluated as good or excellent by 85.2% of them. The access to imaging tests was evaluations as good or excellent by 45.7% of the women; 79.5% of the interviewees had their delivery in the maternity hospital where they sought initial care and 18.3% received a home visit by a community health agent after discharge. Most women reported that newborns were placed skin-to-skin immediately after birth, 48.9% had a companion at the time of the delivery, 76.3% were advised about the first appointment of the newborn, and 94.8% were advised on breastfeeding in the maternity hospital. Regarding the evaluation of health professionals, 85.9% of the women considered reception and cordiality as good or excellent at the prenatal care and 94.8% considered it as good or excellent at the maternity hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The active health Ombudsman service has contributed to evaluate the quality of public management by allowing the incorporation of the perspective of users of the health service in the evaluation of the acceptability of the Cegonha Network in the Federal District of Brazil.

Active health Ombudsman service: evaluation of the quality of delivery and birth care / Ouvidoria ativa em saúde: avaliação da qualidade da atenção ao parto e nascimento

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To evaluate the active health Ombudsman service as an instrument to evaluate the quality of delivery and birth care in the Cegonha Network of the Federal District of Brazil. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study of the telephone survey type carried out with 1,007 mothers with deliveries between October 15, 2013 and November 19, 2013 in the twelve public maternity hospitals that make up the Cegonha Network of the Federal District of Brazil. The instrument has 25 multiple choice or Likert scale questions, including sociodemographic data and acceptability evaluation in five domains: accessibility, relationship between the patient and health professionals, conditions of the structure of the service, information to the patient, and equity and opinion of the patient. We have studied qualitative or categorical variables according to the frequency and distribution of proportions. We have used the score transformed into a scale from zero to 100 for the analysis of the Likert-type scale questions. Results have been expressed as mean and standard deviation. RESULTS Access to prenatal appointments was evaluated as good or excellent by 86.1% of the participants and laboratory tests was evaluated as good or excellent by 85.2% of them. The access to imaging tests was evaluations as good or excellent by 45.7% of the women; 79.5% of the interviewees had their delivery in the maternity hospital where they sought initial care and 18.3% received a home visit by a community health agent after discharge. Most women reported that newborns were placed skin-to-skin immediately after birth, 48.9% had a companion at the time of the delivery, 76.3% were advised about the first appointment of the newborn, and 94.8% were advised on breastfeeding in the maternity hospital. Regarding the evaluation of health professionals, 85.9% of the women considered reception and cordiality as good or excellent at the prenatal care and 94.8% considered it as good or excellent at the maternity hospital. CONCLUSIONS The active health Ombudsman service has contributed to evaluate the quality of public management by allowing the incorporation of the perspective of users of the health service in the evaluation of the acceptability of the Cegonha Network in the Federal District of Brazil.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Avaliar a ouvidoria ativa em saúde como ferramenta de avaliação da qualidade da atenção ao parto e nascimento da Rede Cegonha do Distrito Federal. MÉTODOS Estudo transversal, do tipo inquérito por via telefônica, em 1.007 puérperas com partos realizados entre 15/10/2013 e 19/11/2013, nas 12 maternidades públicas que compõem a Rede Cegonha no Distrito Federal. O instrumento continha 25 questões de múltipla escolha ou do tipo escala Likert, que incluiu dados sociodemográficos e avaliação da aceitabilidade em cinco domínios: acessibilidade, relacionamento entre o paciente e os profissionais de saúde, condições da estrutura do serviço, informação ao paciente, e equidade e opinião do paciente. Variáveis qualitativas ou categóricas foram estudadas de acordo com a frequência e distribuição de proporções. Utilizou-se o escore transformado para uma escala de zero a 100 para análise das questões do tipo escala Likert. Resultados foram expressos em média e desvio-padrão. RESULTADOS O acesso às consultas de pré-natal foi avaliado como bom ou ótimo por 86,1% das participantes e os exames laboratoriais como bom ou ótimo por 85,2%. O acesso aos exames de imagem teve 45,7% avaliações boas ou ótimas; 79,5% das entrevistadas realizaram o parto na maternidade onde buscaram atendimento inicial e 18,3% receberam visita domiciliar por agente comunitário de saúde após a alta. A maioria relatou que os recém-nascidos foram colocados em seus colos ou peitos imediatamente após o nascimento, 48,9% tiveram presença de acompanhante no momento do parto, 76,3% foram orientadas em relação à primeira consulta dos recém-nascidos e 94,8% sobre aleitamento materno na maternidade. Quanto à avaliação dos profissionais de saúde, 85,9% das mulheres consideraram o acolhimento e a cordialidade recebidos como bons ou ótimos no pré-natal e 94,8%, como bons ou ótimos na maternidade. CONCLUSÕES A ouvidoria ativa em saúde contribuiu para a avaliação da qualidade da gestão pública, possibilitando a incorporação da perspectiva das usuárias do serviço de saúde na avaliação da aceitabilidade da Rede Cegonha no Distrito Federal.