Abstract

LEMOES, Marcos Aurélio Matos et al. Characterization of care coordination actions articulated to Primary Health Care in cities in South and Northeast Brazil: 2001-2004. Epidemiol. Serv. Saúde [online]. 2013, vol.22, n.4, pp.631-640. ISSN 1679-4974.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5123/S1679-49742013000400009.

OBJECTIVE: describe care coordination in 41 cities with over 100,000 inhabitants in seven states in South and Northeast Brazil. METHODS: this is a descriptive study. Data were collected through questionnaires applied to health secretaries and health workers and also through questionnaires about work structure and processes filled in by health teams. Data were from 2001-2004 and were analyzed by region. RESULTS: primary health care articulation with services of higher complexity was found in 7 cities in the South and 11 in the Northeast. Care coordination units faced physical structure and technology problems. Average waiting time for specialized appointments ranged from 9 to 127 days in the South and 11 to 42 days in the Northeast. CONCLUSIONS: the study exposes weaknesses in healthcare coordination and contributes to the discussion about qualifying Brazil's public health service network.

Keywords : Health Care Coordination and Monitoring; Health Planning; Primary Health Care; Decentralization; Epidemiology; Descriptive.

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