[A framework for evaluating primary health care in Latin America].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the relevancy of applying the Canadian primary health care (PHC) assessment strategy to Latin America and to propose any modifications that might be needed for reaching a consensus in Latin America.


METHODS
The Delphi method was used to reach a consensus among 29 experts engaged in PHC development or evaluation in Latin America. Four virtual sessions and a face-to-face meeting were held to discuss the PHC evaluation logic model and the seven goals and six conditioning factors that make up the Canadian strategy, as well as any questions regarding the evaluation and indicators. The relevance of each concept was ranked according to the perspective of the Latin American countries.


RESULTS
The experts considered the Canadian strategy's objectives and conditioning factors to be highly relevant to assessing PHC in Latin America, though they acknowledged that additional modification would increase relevance. The chief suggestions were to create a PHC vision and mission, to include additional objectives and conditioning factors, and to rework the original set. The objectives that concerned coordination and integrated comprehensive care did not achieve a high degree of consensus because of ambiguities in the original text and multiple interpretations of statements regarding certain aspects of the evaluation.


CONCLUSIONS
Considerable progress was made on the road to building a PHC evaluation framework for the Region of the Americas. Indicators and information-gathering tools, which can be appropriately and practically applied in diverse contexts, need to be developed.
Haggerty
Jeannie L
JL
Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada. haggerty@usherbrooke.ca
Yavich
Natalia
N
Báscolo
Ernesto Pablo
EP
D002170:Canada; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011320:Primary Health Care