Essential attributes of Primary Health Care: national results of PMAQ-AB

ABSTRACT The concept of a comprehensive Primary Health Care (PHC) and its quality can be evaluated by the effectiveness of the following attributes: first contact service, longitudinality, comprehensiveness and coordination. The objective of this article is to analyze the effectiveness of PHC attributes in team practice from the perspective of professionals and users, comparing the results of the National Program for Access and Quality Improvement in Primary Health Care (PMAQ-AB), between cycles 1 and 2. Quantitative study, with identification of the teams participating in the two cycles and operationalization of the PHS attributes through the selection of PMAQ-AB variables relevant to each attribute. We compared the national results of 12.680 Basic Health Units, 15.668 teams and 58.517 users. Some attributes improved from cycle 1 to cycle 2. The best results were first contact and comprehensiveness, confirming the gradual constitution of the Basic Health Units as an accessible first contact service, with a diversified scope of actions, although insufficient. The attributes with worse evaluation were longitudinality, with low continuity and quality of the professional-patient relationship; and coordination, due to difficulties of access to specialized care and insufficient shared records.