Redecin brazil: Constructing the methodology of a multicentric study to evaluate the care network for people with disabilities

Abstract

This article presents the methodological path of the Redecin study-Evaluation of the Implementation of the Care Network for People with Disabilities (RCPCD) in Brazil. We conducted a multicentric cross-sectional study adopting a hybrid design involving quantitative instruments (document analysis and structured questionnaires) and qualitative methods (interviews with key informants about the implementation of the RCPCD). After discussions with informants from the Ministry of Health and research group, a health region/macro region configuration was adopted, involving all the components of the RCPCD described in the Ministerial Order that created the network. The study was shown to be representative in eight states in the country’s five geographical regions. The use of a hybrid design and multiple evidence sources, and the incorporation of the concept of health care network were fundamental to structuring the evaluation as an instrument that aims to support health care decision-making processes.