Making medicine for the poor: primary health care interpretations in Pelotas, Brazil.

This paper explores the local political setting in which primary health care and community participation have been implemented in Pelotas, Brazil over the past two decades. We argue that in a medically plural setting with a mixture of private and public health care schemes, capitalist-based principles and ideals (such as the predominant role given to technology) shape generalized concepts of good clinical skills and quality of care, thereby regulating the medical system as a whole. The analysis shows that some women living in shantytowns reject the negative class-based associations made with their communities in a variety of ways, including the non-use of their local primary health care (PHC) centre which they considered to be a poor substitute for what the wealthy take for granted. Recent studies show that primary level antenatal care is of low quality when compared with other sectors. Nevertheless, local politicians and physicians often blamed various aspects of local 'culture' (folk health beliefs, low valuing of biomedicine, lack of modern concepts of community-building and altruism) for failed PHC programmes, contributing a prejudicial feedback cycle between frustrated professionals often engaging in prejudicial clinical practices and offended users. Rather than discuss community participation through vague concepts such as empowerment and citizenship, those involved in PHC reform would do well to take explicit (publicly stated) responsibility for the socio-political, financial and bureaucratic constraints to PHC.

[Medical audit: prenatal care program in a health center in Southern Brazil]. / Auditoria médica: programa de pré-natal em posto de saúde na região Sul do Brasil.

INTRODUCTION: A medical audit on the prenatal care program in the Vila Municipal Health Center, Pelotas, RS, Brazil, was described with the purpose of verifying the aspects of the medical process and improving the program's effectiveness. METHODS: Data from prenatal specific records were collected. Pregnant women with delivery due date in 1997 and in the first semester of 1998 were included in the study. Women registered in the program when they were 4-month pregnant and who had had at least 5 visits were also enrolled. Bivariate analysis was used to detect health care indicators. RESULTS: A total of 73 pregnant women were registered in the program in 1997 and 75 in 1998. In 1997, the average number of medical visits was 5.2, while in 1998 this average was 6.2. The difference between the means was statistically significant (p<0.05). Some medical process indicators were analysed to verify the quality of the care. CONCLUSION: The use of the epidemiological method to organize health services was discussed. This type of study requires few resources and time and it can provide guidelines to health service actions.

[Use of outpatient services in an urban area of Southern Brazil: place and frequency]. / Utilização de serviços ambulatoriais em Pelotas: onde a população consulta e com que freqüência.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was determine the use of health services by the adult population in Pelotas, RS, Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was made on the basis of a population sample. One thousand six hundred and fifty-seven persons we interviewed during the months of March and June, 1992. A percentage of 9.7 of the sample was lost. RESULTS: Two dependents variables. One the type of service as determined by type of payment. The other the number of medical visits made during the previous year. The type of service was seen to be associated with the following social variables: social class, level of schooling and place of residence. The frequency of medical visits was associated with sex, risk factors and reasons for the visit. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that choice of the type of service depends more heavily in social class than other variables associated with the severity of the disease in question.

[Evaluation of child care program in the COHAB Pestano primary health center]. / Avaliação do programa de puericultura no Posto de Saúde da COHAB Pestano.

This article describes an evaluation method that involves the health team. This method is fast and cheap. The major objective is the use of the health team to improve the health attention quality. This method gives information about children inscription, consults.