Regional-based Integrated Healthcare Network policy in Brazil: from formulation to practice

Decentralization of the health system - experiences from Pakistan, Portugal and Brazil

BACKGROUND

Decentralization of a health system is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon that demands thorough investigation of its process logistics, predisposing factors and implementation mechanisms, within the broader socio-political environment of each nation. Despite its wide adoption across both high-income countries (HICs) and low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), empirical evidence of whether decentralization actually translates into improved health system performance remains inconclusive and controversial. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive description of the decentralization processes in three countries at different stages of their decentralization strategies - Pakistan, Brazil and Portugal.

MAIN BODY

This study employed a systematic analysis of peer-reviewed academic journals, official government reports, policy documents and publications from international organizations related to health system decentralization. A comprehensive search was conducted using reputable databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, the WHO repository and other relevant databases, covering the period up to the knowledge cutoff date in June 2023. Information was systematically extracted and organized into the determinants, process mechanics and challenges encountered during the planning, implementation and post-decentralization phases. Although decentralization reforms have achieved some success, challenges persist in their implementation. Comparing all three countries, it was evident that all three have prioritized health in their decentralization reforms and aimed to enhance local decision-making power. Brazil has made significant progress in implementing decentralization reforms, while Portugal and Pakistan are still in the process. Pakistan has faced significant implementation challenges, including capacity-building, resource allocation, resistance to change and inequity in access to care. Brazil and Portugal have also faced challenges, but to a lesser extent. The extent, progress and challenges in the decentralization processes vary among the three countries, each requiring ongoing evaluation and improvement to achieve the desired outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Notable differences exist in the extent of decentralization, the challenges faced during implementation and inequality in access to care between the three countries. It is important for Portugal, Brazil and Pakistan to address these through reinforcing implementation strategies, tackling inequalities in access to care and enhancing monitoring and evaluation mechanism. Additionally, fostering knowledge sharing among these different countries will be instrumental in facilitating mutual learning.

How is Integration Defined and Measured, and what Factors Drive Success in Brazil? An Integrative Review

Introduction

Integration in health and care can improve quality and outcomes, but it is challenged by expansion of medical knowledge, social pressures on patient needs, and demands to deliver critical information. In Latin American and in other lower and middle-income countries integrated care remains in development. This paper examined the available literature on integrated care to understand how Latin American countries identify and measure integration, and what factors influence success.

Methods

This integrative literature review included systematic searches in Global Health, PubMed, SciELO and BVSPsi databases for articles on integrated care in Spanish, Portuguese, and English in the period from January of 1999 to December 2020. The articles were screened for selection and assessed independently by five reviewers that used the inclusion criteria of papers about integration in health care systems. The sample excluded articles that did not deal with the integration of health care, which addressed issues related to public health campaigns, programs to control endemics and epidemics, reports on the experience of implementing health services, health promotion guidelines, food safety, oral health, and books evaluation.

Results

24 articles were included: qualitative (75%), quantitative (12,5%), and mixed-method research (4%) published between 2000 and 2017. All studies were undertaken in Brazil, and two of them were also conducted in Latin American countries. In 15 articles there was an interchangeable use between concepts of integration of services and integrated care, while nine studies did not define integration. Barriers to integration included absence of shared understanding of knowledge among members of interprofessional teams, lack of clarity on professional roles, missing consensus on a definition and measurement of integrated care, power struggles between professionals, poor institutional support, insufficient team preparation and training and unequal valuation of professions by society.

Conclusion

Several types of integration and factors contributing to the success of implementation of integrated care in various contexts in Brazil were identified. The concept of integration reflected the varied local and regional realities including different health settings and levels of health and care, suggesting a need for further clarifications on its objective and components especially in LMIC contexts.

Perceptions of institutional performance and compliance to non-pharmaceutical interventions: How performance perceptions and policy compliance affect public health in a decentralized health system

Trust in institutions is a key driver to shape population attitudes and behavior, such as compliance of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI). During the COVID-19 pandemic, this was fundamental and its compliance was supported by governmental and non-governmental institutions. Nevertheless, the situation of political polarization in some countries with decentralized health systems increased the difficulty of such interventions. This study analyzes the association between non-pharmaceutical interventions' compliance and individual perception regarding institutions' performance during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. A web survey was conducted in Brazil between November 2020 and February 2021. Bivariate analysis and ordered logit regressions were performed to assess the association between NPIs compliance and perceived institutions' performance. Results suggest a negative association between NPIs' compliance and Federal Government and Ministry of health perceived performance, which may reflect the political positioning of the respondents. Moreover, we find a positive association between NPI compliance and the perceived performance of the remaining institutions (state government, federal supreme court, national congress, WHO, media and SUS). Our contribution goes beyond the study of a relationship between non-pharmaceutical interventions' compliance and institutions' performance, by pointing out the importance of subnational and local governmental spheres in a decentralized health system, as well as highlighting the importance of social communication based on health organizations' information and scientific institutions.

Coalizão partidária, aporte financeiro e desempenho da assistência médica e odontológica em duas regiões de saúde brasileiras

Coalizações de governo distintas encontram limites para produzir mudanças na orientação de políticas. O objetivo foi descrever a orientação política dos partidos de coalização, o aporte financeiro, a estrutura e o desempenho da assistência médica e odontológica em duas regiões de saúde brasileiras distintas socioeconomicamente e na oferta de serviços. Utilizaram-se indicadores a partir de dados oficiais relativos ao período de 2007 a 2014 e caraterísticas da coalização partidária definidas pelas preferências eleitorais municipais e de intensidade da competição eleitoral em cada estado da respectiva região. Maior aporte financeiro per capita e maior porcentagem de população potencialmente coberta pela atenção básica e pelas equipes de saúde bucal da Estratégia Saúde da Família estavam relacionados com o município-polo da região de coalização partidária mais à esquerda, ao passo que o município-polo da região de coalização partidária mais à direita mostrou aumento expressivo na porcentagem de população potencialmente coberta por médicos. Em ambos os municípios-polo, a efetividade melhorou. Os achados confirmaram a noção de que as coalizações mais à esquerda aportam mais recursos em políticas sociais, mas encontram limites para superar desigualdades estruturais e converter suas preferências programáticas em políticas efetivas.

Access to high-priced medicines: inequalities in the organization and the results among Brazilian states

This case study aimed to characterize the Specialized Component of Pharmaceutical Services (CEAF) organization in four Brazilian states from diverse regions of the country. Data were collected with representatives of CEAF management from states in different regions, who answered a 21-question questionnaire on scope, organization, financing, hurdles, and facilitators. This information was complemented with data from national health surveys, DataSUS, the applied resources, and socioeconomic indicators. Differences were observed between states on issues such as the proportion of users and the decentralization of services. These characteristics seem to be related to the level of development concerning the socioeconomic indicators used. Advances in access to medicines were highlighted, despite the difficulties complying with the CEAF's objectives, such as insufficient resources, the qualification of human resources, and the provision of necessary visits and exams. The results point to advances, different forms of organization and highlight the need for more in-depth studies on the clinical and economic outcomes achieved as a strategy to outline solutions to achieve the comprehensive and equal care for users.

Structure and performance of medical and dental care in two Brazilian health regions between 2007 and 2014

The structure and performance of medical and dental care were analyzed in two health regions that differed socioeconomically and in the provision of services, through case study in the Norte-Barretos (São Paulo) and Juazeiro (Bahia) regions from 2007 and 2014, taking into account political, organizational and structural dimensions and structure and performance indicators. The results showed that the regionalization was positively recognized, the distribution of services did not meet the population demand, and the installed capacity of the health care network was not adequate for the health needs of the population. Norte-Barretos stood out regarding structure (except for potential coverage of oral health teams in the Family Health Strategy) and effectiveness, while Juazeiro stood out concerning efficiency; e.g. although with fewer resources, the use of services was relatively higher. The observed pattern seems to reflect aspects related to the regionalization and the political path of each care provided, the so-called "silos effect". The results may support the design of health policies aimed at overcoming the undersized structure of public health services in regions of lower socioeconomic development and search for parameters and coordination mechanisms to balance performance indicators better.

Implementation and Early Impacts of an Integrated Care Pilot Program in China: Case Study of County-level Integrated Health Organizations in Zhejiang Province

BACKGROUND

One of the most noticeable integrated care-related policies in China is the growth and proliferation of County-level Integrated Health Organizations (CIHOs), which take over a set of primary healthcare institutions to form an integrated delivery network in order to achieve an ordered hierarchical delivery system by strengthening primary care.

OBJECTIVES

This paper presents emerging findings from an ongoing evaluation of the early impacts of the demonstrator site, Deqing CIHO, in Zhejiang Province, in order to examine the extent to which the implementation has achieved its core objectives: (1) establishing the hierarchical referral system, (2) capacity building of primary healthcare providers, and (3) reducing the costs.

DESIGN

This case study was conducted to determine institutional and managerial processes.

SETTINGS

Data were collected and analyzed at the CIHO and county level. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Indicators were selected from the existing database of the county health system and arranged into three segments to assess (1) service utilization among each level of care; (2) capacity-building progress for primary care centers, (3) cost-related indicators for both levels of care.

RESULTS

Service utilization data show that one year after CIHO implementation, the proportion of patients who chose to get inpatient care outside of the county decreased from 27.3% to 24.5%. Hospital admissions were retrieved from outside the county, while service volume slightly shifted from hospitals to primary care sites. Capacity-building indicators for township health centers show that 6 out of 12 items showed better performance compared to the national average growth rate, and a moderated growth rate appeared in terms of per capita cost.

CONCLUSION

Progress evaluation results from Deqing CIHO indicated some positive effects on three main outcomes, which reveal the potential of CIHOs in not only strengthening primary care but also controlling cost as a result of early implementation. Further emphases of evaluation are required to determine the impacts on the quality and experience of care that are estimated using claim-based data at the individual level.

Deprived areas and community water fluoridation in Brazil: a multilevel approach for refocusing public policy

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to determine whether geographic location, socioeconomic status, infant mortality, and mortality from diarrheal disease in health regions are associated with the provision of community water fluoridation (CWF) in Brazilian municipalities.

METHODS

A multilevel ecological study was conducted based on data from the National Survey of Basic Sanitation and Human Development Atlas. A multilevel analysis was carried out considering Brazilian municipalities as the first level and health regions as the second level, comprising sanitation, demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics.

RESULTS

The observation units comprised 5,565 municipalities clustered in 438 health regions in Brazil. The lack of CWF provision was positively associated with the following municipal characteristics: a below-median proportion of inhabitants covered by the sewage network, medium to very low human development index, below-median per capita gross domestic product, and an above-median percentage of expenditures on sanitation. In relation to the health regions, the likelihood of a lack of CWF provision was greater in the municipalities belonging to the health regions located in the Northern and Northeastern areas of Brazil and in those where child mortality due to acute diarrheal disease and the proportion of people with low income were higher when adjusted by municipal indicators.

CONCLUSIONS

Information on the characteristics associated with CWF provision constitutes important input for refocusing public policy to reduce inequalities among Brazilian municipalities and health regions. These findings may help policy-makers to understand the challenges facing CWF expansion in low-, middle-, and high-income countries.

Increases In Women's Political Representation Associated With Reductions In Child Mortality In Brazil

We assessed the effects of female political representation on mortality among children younger than age five in Brazil and the extent to which this effect operates through coverage with conditional cash transfers and primary care services. We combined data on under-five mortality rates with data on women elected as mayors or representatives in state and federal legislatures for 3,167 municipalities during 2000–15. Results from fixed-effects regression models suggest that the election of a female mayor and increases in the shares of women elected to state legislatures and to the federal Chamber of Deputies to 20 percent or more were significantly associated with declines in under-five mortality. Increasing the political representation of women was likely associated with beneficial effects on child mortality through pathways that expanded access to primary health care and conditional cash transfer programs.

Access to healthcare for children with Congenital Zika Syndrome in Brazil: perspectives of mothers and health professionals

The Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS) epidemic took place in Brazil between 2015 and 2017 and led to the emergence of at least 3194 children born with CZS. We explored access to healthcare services and activities in the Unified Health Service (Sistema Único de Saúde: SUS) from the perspective of mothers of children with CZS and professionals in the Public Healthcare Network. We carried out a qualitative, exploratory study, using semi-structured interviews, in two Brazilian states-Pernambuco, which was the epicentre of the epidemic in Brazil, and Rio de Janeiro, where the epidemic was less intense. The mothers and health professionals reported that healthcare provision was insufficient and fragmented and there were problems with follow-up care. There was a lack of co-ordination and an absence of communication between the various specialized services and between different levels of the health system. We also noted a public-private mixture in access to healthcare services, resulting from a segmented system and related to inequality of access. High reported household expenditure is an expression of the phenomenon of underfunding of the public system. The challenges that mothers and health professionals reported exposes contradictions in the health system which, although universal, does not guarantee equitable and comprehensive care. Other gaps were revealed through the outbreak. The epidemic provided visibility regarding difficulties of access for other children with disabilities determined by other causes. It also made explicit the gender inequalities that had an impact on the lives of mothers and other female caregivers, as well as an absence of the provision of care for these groups. In the face of an epidemic, the Brazilian State reproduced old fashioned forms of action-activities related to the transmitting mosquito and to prevention with an emphasis on the individual and no action related to social determinants.

A atenção primária em regiões de saúde: política, estrutura e organização

Resumo: A atenção primária à saúde (APS) concebida como coordenadora do cuidado e ordenadora da rede regionalizada de atenção à saúde (RAS) é um dos condicionantes da dinâmica regional da saúde. O objetivo do artigo é identificar as dimensões política, de estrutura e de organização da APS em diferentes regiões do Brasil; assume-se que estas dimensões podem explicar, se não o todo, pelo menos parte importante do funcionamento da APS em cenário regional. Foram realizadas 84 entrevistas com atores-chave em cinco regiões de saúde. Essas regiões foram selecionadas com base na diversidade de situações socioeconômicas, territoriais e de organização do sistema de saúde. Apesar da heterogeneidade das RAS, notam-se traços comuns. Na dimensão da política, observou-se fragilidade na cooperação intergovernamental e no protagonismo da esfera estadual, além da incapacidade da Comissão Intergestores Bipartite em se configurar como espaço de planejamento e pactuação. Na dimensão estrutura ficou clara a insuficiência de condições que assegurem minimamente a execução de funções essenciais da APS. Pontos críticos são escassez, má distribuição e problemas de qualificação de recursos humanos, além do subfinanciamento das ações. Na dimensão organização são visíveis as dificuldades para se romper a fragmentação dos serviços. A APS não consegue assumir seu papel de coordenadora do cuidado, e observa-se a ausência de um modus operandi capaz de atender às necessidades dos usuários considerando as especificidades de cada região. A superação dos constrangimentos identificados é central para o fortalecimento do próprio SUS como sistema público, universal, equânime e integral.

Integration between Primary Health Care and Emergency Services in Brazil: Barriers and Facilitators

Introduction:

Characteristics of primary health care and emergency services may hamper their integration and, therefore, reduce the quality of care and the effectiveness of health systems. This study aims to identify and analyse policy, structural and organizational aspects of healthcare services that may affect the integration between primary health and emergency care networks.

Theory and Methods:

We conducted a qualitative research study based on grounded theory that included: (1) interviews with 30 health care leaders; and (2) documental analysis of the summaries of Regional Interagency Committee meetings from two regions in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Results:

The integration between primary health and emergency care network is inefficient. The barriers that contributed to this situation are as follows: (1) policy: the municipal health department is responsible for providing primary health care and the regional health department provides emergency care, but there is a lack of space for the integration of services; (2) structural: distinct criteria for planning mechanisms; and (3) organizational: ineffective point of interaction between different levels of the health system.

Conclusions and discussion:

Our findings have implications for health management and planning in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) with suggestions for interventions for overcoming the aforementioned barriers.

[Regional governance of the health system in Brazil: configurations of actors and the role of the Interagency Commissions]

The analytical focus is on the role of the Regional Interagency Commissions (CIR), considering the diversity of actors that influence health policy in specific regional contexts. The research involved conducting five case studies in each of the Brazilian macroregions, with the application of 128 questionnaires to public managers, service providers and civil society representatives, between August 2015 and August 2016. The comparative perspective was adopted, by considering three analytical approaches: the configuration of actors (governmental and non-governmental; public and private) on regional decisions and conflicts, operation dynamics and contributions of commissions to health system policy and organization. The results showed the diversity of actors with a high degree of influence in the regions and the role of the Regional Interagency Commissions in policy coordination and conflict resolution. The commissions favor interagency negotiation and the organization of the Unified Health System vis-à-vis the Brazilian federative structure. However, they have limited scope as a space for regional health governance and are unable to incorporate the different configurations of public and private actors with power and influence over health decisions.

Voluntary associations and co-production of health promoting activities for older adults: Experiences and policy lessons from Denmark

Demographic transitions in Europe accentuate the need to develop innovative solutions for healthy ageing. One increasingly popular policy approach is co-production between local governments and voluntary community associations (VCOs) to promote activities for health and wellbeing among older adults. While co-production has been studied from the perspective of local governments there is limited knowledge regarding how voluntary associations perceive their conditions. This study aims to fill this gap using survey data from voluntary associations in Denmark. The investigation is based on an electronic survey (n = 263) of VCOs engaged in activities relevant for healthy ageing in three Danish municipalities. The survey addressed 13 issues and potential problems within four categories - ''members and volunteers', 'economics, 'media and the public' and '´politics and the local government'. The paper presents a relatively positive picture of the potentials in municipal-VCO collaboration. However, we also find that a sizeable number of VCOs point to problems and obstacles particular in regards to recruitment of members and economics. While the municipalities in our study have all developed strategies to support VCOs and to promote coproduction it seems that there are deficits in the implementation of the strategies. This leads us to conclude that municipalities must pay close attention to the issues and conditions for VCOs in order to succeed with their policy initiatives in this area.

Dialogue between primary and secondary health care providers in a Brazilian hypertensive population

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE To describe clinical and epidemiological profiles of patients with hypertension referred to a secondary care unit and to assess the adequacy of the referral criteria. METHOD This descriptive transversal study analysed 943 hypertensive patients referred to a secondary healthcare unit from September 2010 to August 2012. Clinical and sociodemographic data as well as data regarding the liaison between secondary and primary care services were collected. RESULTS Patients’ mean age was 59±13.1 years, and 61.3% were female. Sedentary lifestyle, alcohol consumption, and smoking were observed in 80.3%, 31.1%, and 18.1% of the patients, respectively. Uncontrolled blood pressure was observed in 72.5% of the sample, and 80.1% of individuals were overweight or obese. There was a high prevalence of dyslipidaemia (73.1%), cardiovascular disease (97.5%), and reduced glomerular filtration rate (49.9%). Thirty-eight percent of patients did not meet the referral criteria, of whom approximately 25% were not hypertensive. CONCLUSION Even in a universal-access healthcare system, poor control of hypertension and high prevalence of obesity and cardiovascular diseases were observed. Inadequate referrals and the presence of clinical complications suggest low efficiency of the assistance provided in primary care and reinforce the need for sharing care with the secondary level.

Integração de rede e coordenação do cuidado: o caso do sistema de saúde do Chile

Resumo O artigo analisa a implementação de redes integradas de serviços de saúde (RISS) e de estratégias para a coordenação do cuidado pela APS no sistema de saúde do Chile em seu segmento público. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com “policymakers” do sistema público de saúde e academia, complementado por análise documental e revisão bibliográfica. O país destaca-se pela institucionalização de instrumentos de coordenação do cuidado amplamente reconhecidos como mapas de derivação, médico gestor de demanda, prontuários eletrônicos e, sobretudo, definição de protocolos, sob forte liderança do Ministério da Saúde e condução pelos gestores dos “Servicios de Salud”, espaço regional de construção das RISS. Contudo, identificam-se camadas de segmentação e fragmentação no interior do subsistema público com a manutenção da livre-eleição para consultas especializadas e duplas filas de espera – uma para os procedimentos com garantias explícitas de acesso e outra para os demais. A experiência chilena demonstra a necessidade de maior protagonismo da APS para que seja capaz de assumir a condução das RISS. No país, as redes parecem orbitar ao redor de grandes e potentes hospitais. Elementos do contexto mais amplo do sistema de saúde também condicionam avanços e impasses no desenvolvimento das estratégias analisadas.

Rede regionalizada de atenção à saúde no Estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil, entre 2011 e 2015: sistema de governança e a atenção à saúde bucal

Resumo: Objetivou-se descrever o sistema de governança empreendido na estruturação da rede regionalizada de atenção à saúde no Estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil, baseando-se na Comissão Intergestores Bipartite (CIB), tendo como foco a estruturação da atenção à saúde bucal. Trata-se de um estudo de cunho qualitativo, exploratório-descritivo, do tipo documental, tendo por base os fundamentos da governança como ferramenta analítica, por meio da identificação das dimensões atores, normas, pontos nodais e processos. Dados secundários foram coletados em atas de reuniões realizadas pela CIB entre janeiro de 2011 e dezembro de 2015. A análise mostra fragilidades na governança empreendida pela CIB catarinense no que concerne à estruturação da atenção à saúde bucal de forma regionalizada e sob a perspectiva de rede. A estruturação da atenção à saúde bucal ocorre de forma paralela a outras redes temáticas no estado e apresenta a expansão dos serviços odontológicos, principalmente de média complexidade, como efeito do processo de governança vigente. As relações estabelecidas entre os gestores e os processos decisórios identificados permitiram reconhecer a “prescrição” dessa rede, visto que há pouca negociação e demanda local, sendo mais restrita ao seguimento de recomendações e incentivos da esfera federal/estadual, estes intermediados por técnicos da secretaria estadual. Dessa forma, a definição de agenda propícia à formulação de política voltada para a atenção à saúde bucal dos catarinenses torna-se fragilizada e apresenta um posicionamento periférico frente às demais ações de saúde.

O processo de regionalização do SUS: revisão sistemática

Resumo Nesta revisão foram incluídos apenas estudos específicos sobre o processo de regionalização do SUS, baseados em resultados empíricos e publicados a partir de 2006, já sob o referencial do Pacto pela Saúde. Foi evidenciado que o processo de regionalização é hoje uma realidade em todas as esferas de governo, sujeito a um conjunto de desafios comuns às diversas realidades do país. Entre os principais, os colegiados são valorizados com espaços de inovação, mas ainda em busca da superação da cultura política burocrática e clientelista. A governança regional é ainda prejudicada pela fragmentação do sistema e, em particular, pela histórica deficiência com planejamento, desde o nível local às políticas estratégicas de incorporação tecnológica. As análises permitiram implicar a cultura de amplo privilégio para negociação política em detrimento do planejamento como uma das principais responsáveis por um ciclo vicioso que sustenta a deficiência técnica da gestão.

Avaliação da rede de atenção ao portador de hipertensão arterial: estudo de uma região de saúde

Resumo: No contexto das políticas públicas de saúde, a rede de atenção é uma estratégia que visa a promover a equidade do acesso das pessoas aos serviços e reduzir a sua fragmentação. O objetivo foi avaliar o grau de desenvolvimento dos componentes de uma rede de atenção à saúde para hipertensão. Trata-se de um estudo avaliativo do tipo ex-ante, de corte transversal, voltado à implantação da Rede de Atenção à Saúde das pessoas com doenças crônicas com a aplicação de questionário a 17 gestores de saúde dos municípios que formam a maior região de saúde de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil. O questionário é constituído de 65 questões que contemplam os cinco componentes: Atenção Primária à Saúde; Atenção Especializada; Sistemas de Apoio; Sistemas Logísticos; e Governança. Foram realizados testes estatísticos descritivos e a classificação dos serviços prestados em cada componente por meio do teste de Friedman, seguido pelo pós-teste de Student-Newman-Keuls, com nível de significância de 5%. Os resultados foram distribuídos em quartis e apresentados em gráficos Boxplot. Foram estabelecidas correlações entre as dimensões. Resultados apontam que os componentes estão no grau intermediário de implantação, com baixo desenvolvimento nos quesitos necessários para a constituição de redes. A Atenção Primária à Saúde não coordena o cuidado, e os componentes Atenção Especializada e Governança apresentaram os piores resultados. Os achados apontam predomínio de serviços instalados ainda distantes das práticas necessárias para a composição de redes de atenção à saúde, podendo comprometer a sua implantação.

Regionalization of health surveillance: a performance evaluation proposal in a health region in Brazil

Abstract Objectives: To evaluate the performance of the regionalization of the Vigilância em Saúde (VS) (Health Surveillance) in a region in Sao Paulo State. Methods: a quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out at the V Diretoria Regional de Saúde da Secretaria de Saúde do Estado de São Paulo (V Board of the Regional Health Secretary of São Paulo State Health Department). A structured questionnaire was developed from the three dimensions of the research (Policy, Structure and Organization). The escore médio (EM) (average score) was used as the central tendency and for each dimension and attributes, the synthetic indices were constructed. Three cutoff points for assessing the performance were assigned: values equal to or below 4.99 were considered unsatisfactory; between 5.00 and 6.99, intermediaries; and equal to or above 7.00, satisfactory. Results: The performance of the regionalization of the VS was considered satisfactory, with emphasis on the 'Policy' (EM 8.51) and 'Organization' (EM 8.18) dimensions. The ‘Structure’ obtained intermediate performance (EM 6.78). The proposed methodology demonstrated to be appropriate to evaluate the performance of the regionalization of VS, because its strengths and weaknesses were allowed to be identified. Conclusions: despite of the regionalization is an ongoing process, it is necessary for the establishment of a political project that will take up effectively as a strategy for the reorganization of the healthcare in Brazil.

Contributions on the regionalization process in two regions in the Southeast of Brazil

Abstract Objectives: to analyze the contributions of regionalization in North-Barretos and South-Barretos regions, focusing on political, structural and organizational changes. Methods: mixed sequential explanatory methods using records analysis from the Comissão Intergestores Regional (CIR) (Regional Inter-managers Commission (CIR), interviews with questionnaire and guides along with 42 key agents (managers and providers of services) conducted in August 2015. The descriptive statistical results were presented with mean scores for each of the question in the questionnaire. The analysis of the thematic content was performed by using the Atlas-ti software and categories of the mixed themes were generated representing the following dimensions: policy, structure and organization. Results: the study identified that the Estrutura Regional da Secretaria Estadual de Saúde (Regional Structure of the State Health Department) is the most important institution in health policy decisions. Several contributions can be identified in the process of regionalization, mainly in the organizational aspect of the health system. The records demonstrated the frequent presence of themes related to networks, regulation and financing and the definition of flow of patients. Conclusions: regionalization in the North-Barretos and South-Barretos regions have contributed for a better organization in health actions and services. The intergovernmental forums do not work with coordination and they are not a collaborative place to negotiate health issues in these regions in São Paulo State

Barriers to healthcare coordination in market-based and decentralized public health systems: a qualitative study in healthcare networks of Colombia and Brazil

Although integrated healthcare networks (IHNs) are promoted in Latin America in response to health system fragmentation, few analyses on the coordination of care across levels in these networks have been conducted in the region. The aim is to analyse the existence of healthcare coordination across levels of care and the factors influencing it from the health personnel' perspective in healthcare networks of two countries with different health systems: Colombia, with a social security system based on managed competition and Brazil, with a decentralized national health system. A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive-interpretative study was conducted, based on a case study of healthcare networks in four municipalities. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with a three stage theoretical sample of (a) health (112) and administrative (66) professionals of different care levels, and (b) managers of providers (42) and insurers (14). A thematic content analysis was conducted, segmented by cases, informant groups and themes. The results reveal poor clinical information transfer between healthcare levels in all networks analysed, with added deficiencies in Brazil in the coordination of access and clinical management. The obstacles to care coordination are related to the organization of both the health system and the healthcare networks. In the health system, there is the existence of economic incentives to compete (exacerbated in Brazil by partisan political interests), the fragmentation and instability of networks in Colombia and weak planning and evaluation in Brazil. In the healthcare networks, there are inadequate working conditions (temporary and/or part-time contracts) which hinder the use of coordination mechanisms, and inadequate professional training for implementing a healthcare model in which primary care should act as coordinator in patient care. Reforms are needed in these health systems and networks in order to modify incentives, strengthen the state planning and supervision functions and improve professional working conditions and skills.

Evaluating the effectiveness of care integration strategies in different healthcare systems in Latin America: the EQUITY-LA II quasi-experimental study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Although fragmentation in the provision of healthcare is considered an important obstacle to effective care, there is scant evidence on best practices in care coordination in Latin America. The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of a participatory shared care strategy in improving coordination across care levels and related care quality, in health services networks in six different healthcare systems of Latin America.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A controlled before and after quasi-experimental study taking a participatory action research approach. In each country, two comparable healthcare networks were selected--intervention and control. The study contains four phases: (1) A baseline study to establish network performance in care coordination and continuity across care levels, using (A) qualitative methods: semi-structured interviews and focus groups with a criterion sample of health managers, professionals and users; and (B) quantitative methods: two questionnaire surveys with samples of 174 primary and secondary care physicians and 392 users with chronic conditions per network. Sample size was calculated to detect a proportion difference of 15% and 10%, before and after intervention (α=0.05; β=0.2 in a two-sided test); (2) a bottom-up participatory design and implementation of shared care strategies involving micro-level care coordination interventions to improve the adequacy of patient referral and information transfer. Strategies are selected through a participatory process by the local steering committee (local policymakers, health care network professionals, managers, users and researchers), supported by appropriate training; (3) Evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions by measuring changes in levels of care coordination and continuity 18 months after implementation, applying the same design as in the baseline study; (4) Cross-country comparative analysis.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study complies with international and national legal stipulations on ethics. Conditions of the study procedure were approved by each country's ethical committee. A variety of dissemination activities are implemented addressing the main stakeholders. Registration No.257 Clinical Research Register of the Santa Fe Health Department, Argentina.

Do existing mechanisms contribute to improvements in care coordination across levels of care in health services networks? Opinions of the health personnel in Colombia and Brazil

BACKGROUND

The fragmentation of healthcare provision has given rise to a wide range of interventions within organizations to improve coordination across levels of care, primarily in high income countries but also in some middle and low-income countries. The aim is to analyze the use of coordination mechanisms in healthcare networks and its implications for the delivery of health care. This is studied from the perspective of health personnel in two countries with different health systems, Colombia and Brazil.

METHODS

A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive-interpretative study was conducted, based on a case study of healthcare networks in two municipalities in each country. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with a three stage theoretical sample of a) health (112) and administrative (66) professionals of different care levels, and b) managers of providers (42) and insurers (14). A thematic content analysis was conducted, segmented by cases, informant groups and themes.

RESULTS

The results show that care coordination mechanisms are poorly implemented in general. However, the results are marginally better in certain segments of the Colombian networks analyzed (ambulatory centres with primary and secondary care co-location owned by or tied to the contributory scheme insurers, and public providers of the subsidized scheme); and in the network of the state capital in Brazil. Professionals point to numerous problems in the use of existing mechanisms, such as the insufficient recording of information in referral forms, low frequency and level of participation in shared clinical sessions, low adherence to the few available clinical guidelines and the lack of or inadequate referral of patients by the patient referral centres, particularly in the Brazilian networks. The absence or limited use of care coordination mechanisms leads, according to informants, to the inadequate follow-up of patients, interruptions in care and duplication of tests. Professionals use informal strategies to try to overcome these limitations.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate not only the limited implementation of mechanisms for coordination across care levels, but also a limited use of existing mechanisms in the healthcare networks analyzed. This has a negative impact on coordination, efficiency and quality of care. Organizational changes are required in the networks and healthcare systems to address these problems.