Evaluation of accessibility to Primary Health Care services in the view perspective of health personnel

Abstract

Objective: to assess the accessibility of Primary Health Care to the population covered by the Family Health Strategy in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the view of the health personnel involved. Method: this cross-sectional study was conducted with 349 family health team members. Data was collected using the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCATool) questionnaire. Results: performance, as evaluated by the accessibility indicator, was not good. Unit uptime, staff availability to provide telephone guidance or assistance when the service was closed, and user waiting times were all reported to be unsatisfactory. Conclusion: these results show where the primary health care system is weak in guaranteeing the public’s access to services and enabling Family Health Strategy personnel to provide effective, comprehensive care.