Referência e contrarreferências na saúde da família: percepção dos profissionais de saúde / Referral and counter-referral in family health: perceptions of health professionals
This study aimed to verify the opinion of top-level professionals linked to the Family Health Strategy (FHS), on the system of referral and counter-referral, in the context of the Unified Health System (UHS), in a city in northern Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is a cross-sectional study, quantitative, and in the nature of a census. The study included 95 professionals trained in nursing, dentistry, and medicine. The majority (98.9%) of the professionals refer primary health care (PHC) users to other levels of care, with no difference between the professional categories (p>0.05). The referred users run into problems finding assistance in other levels of care. Most of the professionals said that health services users are not counter-referred to the FHS, with a difference of opinion between the professional categories (p<0.001). In the view of the interviewees, there is a miscommunication between the levels of care in the UHS. This suggests a fragmented health care model, and problems with accessibility, universality, and comprehensiveness of care.