Primary health care evaluation: a new approach

Abstract

A new approach to primary health care evaluation is presented in this paper. It is based on the systemic theory proposed by Donabedian, with the modification that the first component to be evaluated should be the Process, in order to identify services' adequacy and the relationships between the distinct procedures of this level of care. Thus, structure evaluation will have a different meaning for the decision-making process. After this step, it will be important to evaluate the health care network, focusing on primary health care as the entrance door to the network. For this purpose, the paper presents a conception of network that is more dynamic and flexible. A mixed evaluation methodology is proposed in this paper, encompassing the quantitative approach based on the database of the Datasus system (National Database system), complemented by a qualitative approach, allowing a better understanding of the relationships found in the services and the network. In this methodological framework it will be possible to identify variables of primary health care and of the health network to be addressed in the decision-making process, towards the improvement in the quality of primary health care.