The right to health in the territory: Service users’ perceptions of primary health care

Abstract

Primary health care is an essential component of effective health systems. The aim of this study aim was to evaluate the quality of primary care in a city in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. We conducted an exploratory study with 525 service users using structured questionnaires. The quality of primary care was assessed across five dimensions: accessibility, clinical care, profes-sional-user relations, community activities and structure. The findings point to the perpetuation of social vulnerabilities and challenges in achie-ving equitable universal care. Dissatisfaction rates were highest in the following categories: access to specialist appointments and exams, appointment wait time, and opportunity to make complaints. However, respondents were satisfied with medical and nursing care, particularly in relation to res-pect, privacy, listening and confidentiality. The findings show that, although health professionals were committed to providing humanized care, fragmentation of care is evident, hampering the provision of adequate and timely follow-up and negatively affecting the quality of care.