title: [Evaluation of the quality of primary health care from the perspective of the elderly].
abstract: The scope of this study was to assess the quality of Primary Health Care (PHC) provided to the elderly from their viewpoint. The study design was cross-sectional and observational in a stratified random sample of elderly individuals, enrolled in 10 of the 20 Basic Health Units (BHU) in the city of Macaiba, State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. After an interview conducted using the adult version of the primary care assessment tool (PCATool-Brazil), the quality level was estimated (0-10, based on desirable attributes) and the association between demographic and socioeconomic factors was analyzed. The participants (n = 100) assigned a score of fair (5.7) to Quality; Longitudinality of care was awarded a high score (7.3), however Integrality (4.7), Family Orientation (4.1) and Accessibility (3.8) were considered weak. Socio-demographic factors linked to vulnerability (low income, rural area and older age) were positively associated with different PHC attributes. A margin for improvement in PHC attributes was observed, especially with respect to increasing the focus on the family, extending working hours in BHUs and enhancing prevention of diseases and ensuing complications.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil, Brasil.laviniauchoa@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Lavínia Uchôa Azevedo de
authors.initials: LU
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil, Brasil.laviniauchoa@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Zenewton André da Silva
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Gama
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte.
authors.forename: Flávio Luiz Araújo do
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte.
authors.forename: Herison Franklin Viana de
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte.
authors.forename: Wilker Medeiros de
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte.
authors.forename: Helano Jader Batista de
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Almeida Júnior
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires