Assessment of the coordination of primary healthcare: comparison of PMAQ-AB (Brazil) and international references

Abstract:

This study aimed to compare the results obtained with the coordination of care through the Brazilian National Program for Improvement of Access and Quality of Basic Care (PMAQ-AB), with the parameters adopted by the Care Coordination Measures Atlas and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. A cross-sectional study was performed using the dataset from the third cycle of the PMAQ-AB. Three typologies of coordination of care were created: PMAQ-AB, Atlas, and Observatory. Chi-square test was applied to compare proportions and Kruskal-Wallis and Nemenyi tests to verify and identify potential differences between the typologies. Significance was set at 5%. In all, 35,350 teams were assessed that performed some activity in care coordination. A significant difference was observed (p < 0.001) between levels of coordination, with a higher percentage between the high and medium levels in the three instruments, PMAQ-AB (56.07% and 38.35%), Atlas (52.63% and 40.66%), and Observatory (44.82% and 43.98%). In the comparison of the indicators, there was a significant difference (p < 0.001) between the typologies. For Brazil, in the PMAQ-AB typology, all the strata displayed a higher percentage between the high and medium levels; in the Atlas, stratum 1 stood out in the medium level (43.81%); the high level predominated in the Observatory. In the comparison of the indicators by strata, at least one stratum differed from the others (p < 0.001). Number 6 differed from the others (p < 0.001), and number 1 differed from all of them (p < 0.001) except number 2 (p > 0.05). The levels of coordination of care differed according to the instruments used. High and medium levels were identified, showing the need for additional studies.

Keywords:
Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Primary Health Care; Comparative Study; Health Care Quality Assurance; Health Services Research