Access of first contact in the primary health care: An evaluation by the male population

Abstract

Introduction: Primary care is considered a gateway to other levels of care, however, men seek mainly specialized or emergency services, especially when they already have some affection. Objective: the objective was to verify how male users evaluate first contact access in primary care. Methodology: Cross-sectional study, conducted in Campina Grande/PB, from October 2016 to February 2017, with 384 men. A sociodemographic form and the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCATool) were used. Results: There was an association between service use and age (p = 0.001), income (p = 0.036), creed (p = 0.018) and knowledge of the National Men’s Health Policy (p = 0.007); The components of first contact access (utilization and accessibility) obtained a score of 5.79 and 2.7 respectively, being this attribute considered by users as poorly oriented to primary care. Ensuring accessibility and reception in primary care is critical. The service must be organized to have the ability to receive and respond positively to the health demands of the population, to have resoluteness and ability to link the service with the user. Conclusion: Users do not perceive primary care as a gateway to the health system, and efforts should be made to ensure first contact access.