Software program to systematize data for planning public health actions

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe and evaluate a software program to provide basic health care teams with primary health services data. METHODS: It was described the PACOTAPS (software program for primary health care), developed using Visual Basic 5.0, and secondary data and outpatient care demand modules were tested in a basic health care unit in Pelotas, Brazil. Age/gender structure of the reference population was obtained from secondary data. Outpatient care demand allowed the characterization of all 4,170 visits carried out in a month by analyzing Outpatient Care Files. RESULTS: Age and gender distribution as well as main diagnoses and referrals were identified for all patients seen at the health care unit. In addition, there were detected differences among the health care centers due to either different organization and care models or as a result of different actual needs of improvement in patient register systems. CONCLUSIONS: PACOTAPS, a user-friendly software program, can contribute to health care unit management evaluation within the national Unified Health System (SUS). The availability of an electronic tool combining resources allows decision making in healthcare facilities, and even at municipal health policy level, to be based on more adequate and effective data.