Social support and satisfaction of hypertensive patients with primary care: construction of a synthetic index

ABSTRACT The objective was to construct a synthetic index for Family Health Units that contemplates the perception of the satisfaction with the Primary Health Care (PHS) and the social support perceived by hypertensive patients. A Global Synthetic Index was constructed based on a weighted average of the variables that made up the user satisfaction dimension and those that made up the perceived social support with PHS. This index was applied in the hypertensive cohort developed for the municipality of João Pessoa (PB), for two Sanitary Districts, with the application of statistical tests. The axes related to the satisfaction of hypertensive users of PHS had a negative impact on the global synthetic index, while the axes related to social support had a relatively high score. Statistical tests showed that there was a significant difference (significance level of 5%) in the global synthetic indices among the Sanitary Districts of Health. The proposed index was presented as a practical, useful and effective tool, and managers and health professionals can benefit in the decision-making process with its use, in order to achieve better practices among the territories and in the evaluation of actions in the primary care for hypertensive care.