Access to primary health care of elderly people: perspectives of family health professionals in a municipality of Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract Background Primary health care is vital in providing attention to the elderly lifelong, due to the heterogeneity and the specificity of this population, particularly in relation to access. Objective The objective of the present work was to analyze the perception of the oldest access to Primary Health Care from the perspective of professionals of the Family Health Strategy in a municipality in Southern Brazil. Method A qualitative study and exploratory, attended by ten professionals linked to the Family Health Strategy was carried out. The data were collected by means of interviews, whose questions about access were based and adapted from Primary Care Assessment Tool and analyzed according to the precepts of Thematic Content Analysis. Results The participants mentioned as facilitators of access to conducting visits, the reception and fast service and by spontaneous demand. On the other hand, there were perceived barriers, such as the units are not open at all times, lack of receptionist, far from other services when the units are closed and lack of priority to care of lived. Conclusion It is possible to conclude that, through the perception of health professionals, many factors of access are related to the process of work and there is a limited understanding of the elderly must be specific due to physiological changes and social in this population.

摘要
**背景** 初级卫生保健（Primary Health Care）对于为老年人提供终身照护至关重要。由于该群体的异质性与特殊性，其医疗服务可及性问题尤为突出。
**目的** 本研究旨在从巴西南部某城市家庭健康策略（Family Health Strategy）从业者的视角，分析最年长老年群体获取初级卫生保健的认知情况。
**方法** 本研究采用探索性定性研究设计，纳入10名隶属于家庭健康策略的从业者。研究通过访谈收集数据，其中涉及服务可及性的问题基于并改编自初级保健评估工具（Primary Care Assessment Tool），并依据主题内容分析（Thematic Content Analysis）的范式对数据进行分析。
**结果** 参与研究者提及，上门访视、规范接诊与快速响应，以及自发就诊需求是提升服务可及性的促进因素。另一方面，研究识别出多项可及性障碍：包括服务站点无法全天候开放、缺乏专职接待人员、站点关闭时距其他医疗服务点过远，以及未对该老年群体给予优先照护。
**结论** 基于卫生从业者的认知可得出：诸多影响服务可及性的因素与日常工作流程密切相关；且当前对该老年群体需结合生理变化与社会处境差异开展针对性照护的认知仍存在局限。