title: Primary care and public health services integration in Brazil's unified health system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined associations between transdisciplinary collaboration, evidence-based practice, and primary care and public health services integration in Brazil's Family Health Strategy. We aimed to identify practices that facilitate service integration and evidence-based practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected cross-sectional data from community health workers, nurses, and physicians (n = 262). We used structural equation modeling to assess providers' service integration and evidence-based practice engagement operationalized as latent factors. Predictors included endorsement of team meetings, access to and consultations with colleagues, familiarity with community, and previous research experience.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Providers' familiarity with community and team meetings positively influenced evidence-based practice engagement and service integration. More experienced providers reported more integration and engagement. Physicians reported less integration than did community health workers. Black providers reported less evidence-based practice engagement than did Pardo (mixed races) providers. After accounting for all variables, evidence-based practice engagement and service integration were moderately correlated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age and race of providers, transdisciplinary collaboration, and familiarity with the community are significant variables that should inform design and implementation of provider training. Promising practices that facilitate service integration in Brazil may be used in other countries.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Columbia University, New York, NY 10040, USA. rmp98@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Rogério M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Penido
authors.forename: Clecy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011635:Public Health Administration