Quality assessment of primary health care services in the city of São José de Ribamar, Maranhão, Brazil

This study assessed the essential and derivative attributes of primary health care from the perspective of health service users and professionals from 35 primary health facilities in São José de Ribamar in the State of Maranhão, Brazil. Data were collected from 73 professionals and 386 service users through interviews based on the Primary Care Assessment Tool. The health professionals rated all attributes except first-contact care as satisfactory (overall score = 7.54, essential attributes score = 7.28, and derivative attributes score = 8.02), while the service users rated all attributes as unsatisfactory. The differences in perceptions between health professionals and service users reveal that the population’s health needs are not being met at this level of care. If the population fails to access services, it fails to benefit from any of the other attributes of this level of care.