e-SUS AB use and factors associated with recording primary care procedures and consultations in Brazilian municipalities

Abstract

This article sought to evaluate e-SUS AB’s impact on procedure and consultation notification in the Outpatient Information System of the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SIA/SUS) in Brazilian municipalities. This is an ecological study with longitudinal comparisons before, during and after the e-SUS AB implementation period (June 2013 to May 2015) and, during implementation, cross-sectional comparison between municipalities in completed, intermediary and initial implementation stages. Rates were described using means and standard deviations and analyzed through negative binomial regression. Municipalities where e-SUS AB had been implemented in November 2014 were small, with lower Municipal Human Development Index (HDI-M), lower per capita income, higher rates of nurses, high Family Health Strategy – (FHS) coverage (> 80%). We did not observe differences in rates of procedures or consultations between municipalities according to implementation stage and there was no increase over time. Municipalities with 100% FHS coverage had higher rates of procedures (rate ratio [RR] = 1.44; 95%CI: 1.29-1.62) and consultations (RR = 1.26; 95%CI: 1.15-1.39); municipalities with more than 100 thousand inhabitants had lower rates of procedures (RR = 0.68; 95%CI: 0.57-0.81) and consultations (RR = 0.54; 95%CI: 0.47-0.63). We found lower procedure rates in all regions when compared with the Northern Region, with the Northeastern RR of 0.34 (95%CI: 0.30-0.40) lower and the Southern Region RR of 0.35 (95%CI: 0.30-0.41) lower than the Northern Region. Further analyses of system use and its implications in teams’ work processes should be carried out in order to support managers in using and maintaining the system.