title: [Primary healthcare and the construction of thematic health networks: what role can they play?].
abstract: The enhancement of primary healthcare has been a core strategy for the empowerment of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). Recent guidelines issued by OPAS and the Ministry of Health highlight the role it has played as a thematic communication network center, a regulating agent for the access and use of services required for comprehensive healthcare. Sponsored by PPSUS/Fapesp, this study examines the possibilities of the primary healthcare network exercising such a strategic function. Life narratives involving 15 regular users were produced in two cities of ABC Paulista, which have adopted the Family Health Strategy for the organization of their primary healthcare networks. The study presents three main findings: the primary healthcare network serves as an outpost of SUS by producing user values even for high complexity service users; the primary network is perceived is a place for simple care needs; there is shared impotence between users and teams when it comes to the network functioning as the coordinator of care, indicating that it does not possess the technological, operational and organizational material conditions or symbolic conditions (values, meanings, and representations) to be in a central position in the coordination of thematic healthcare networks.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM-Unifesp), R. Botucatu 740, Vila Clementino, 04023-062 São Paulo SP, Brazil. luizcecilio60@gmail.com
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos de Oliveira
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Cecilio
authors.forename: Rosemarie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andreazza
authors.forename: Graça
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carapinheiro
authors.forename: Eliane Cardoso
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Lissandra Andion
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Maria da Graça Garcia
authors.initials: Mda G
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Consuelo Sampaio
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Meneses
authors.forename: Nicanor Rodrigues da Silva
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Denizi Oliveira
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santiago
authors.forename: Ana Lucia Medeiros
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Sandra Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Spedo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*