The mais médicos program in the user’s perspective: An evaluating research

Abstract

The Mais Médicos Program (MMP) appeared in 2013 as a measure to face the absence of doctors in primary care. It generated controversy in the society before the opening of the Brazilian market for foreign professionals, with disapproval by the medical category, but with apparent popular acceptance. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the implementation of PMM of a countryside municipality in Bahia state, Brazil, through the users. This is an evaluative research performed in 11 family health teams in Bahia countryside, that had doctors bound by Program, with the participation of 30 users. A semi-structured interview was conducted and the data were analyzed according to the thematic content analysis technique. A judgment matrix was also constructed in order to point out the merit achieved by the MMP. The results revealed that the implementation of the Program was satisfactory, with a strong popular approval around, even if there was a superficial knowledge about it, or even a total lack of knowledge. It was also evidenced that it would not be necessary for foreign doctors to come to the country, once the necessary legal adjustments were made in order of the Program to attract and fix the Brazilian professionals.