Brazilian normative data for the Short Form 36 questionnaire, version 2 / Dados normativos brasileiros do questionario Short Form-36 versao 2

METHODS: The study Pesquisa Dimensões Sociais das Desigualdades (PDSD) (Social Dimensions of Inequalities) involves 12,423 randomly selected Brazilian men and women aged 18 years old or more from urban and rural areas of the five Brazilian regions, and the information collected included the SF-36 as a measure of health-related quality of life. This provided a unique opportunity to develop age and gender-adjusted normative data for the Brazilian population. RESULTS: Brazilian men scored substantially higher than women on all eight domains and the two summary component scales of the SF-36. Brazilians scored less than their international counterparts on almost all of SF-36 domains and both summary component scales, except on general health status (US), pain (UK) and vitality (Australia, US and Canada). CONCLUSION: The differences in the SF-36 scores between age groups, genders and countries confirm that these Brazilian norms are necessary for comparative purposes. The data will be useful for assessing the health status of the general population and of patient populations, and the effect of interventions on health-related quality of life. .

MÉTODOS: A Pesquisa Dimensões Sociais das Desigualdades (PDSD) é um inquérito que entrevistou 12.423 homens e mulheres brasileiros com idade de 18 anos e mais, selecionados aleatoriamente em áreas urbanas e rurais das cinco regiões brasileiras, e a informação coletada incluiu o SF-36 como uma medida de qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde. Isto proveu uma oportunidade única para desenvolver dados normativos ajustados por idade e sexo para a população brasileira. RESULTADOS: Os escores dos homens brasileiros foram maiores que os das mulheres nos oito domínios e duas medidas componentes do SF-36. Os brasileiros tiveram pontuação mais baixa que seus respectivos contrapartes internacionais em quase todos os domínios e medidas componentes do SF-36, à exceção do estado geral de saúde (USA), dor (GB) e vitalidade (Austrália, USA e Canadá). CONCLUSÃO: As diferenças nos escores do SF-36 entre grupos etários, sexo e países confirmam que as normas brasileiras são necessárias para propósitos comparativos. Os dados serão úteis para avaliar o status de saúde da população em geral e dos pacientes, e o efeito das intervenções na qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde. .

Brazilian normative data for the Short Form 36 questionnaire, version 2.

METHODS: The study Pesquisa Dimensões Sociais das Desigualdades (PDSD) (Social Dimensions of Inequalities) involves 12,423 randomly selected Brazilian men and women aged 18 years old or more from urban and rural areas of the five Brazilian regions, and the information collected included the SF-36 as a measure of health-related quality of life. This provided a unique opportunity to develop age and gender-adjusted normative data for the Brazilian population. RESULTS: Brazilian men scored substantially higher than women on all eight domains and the two summary component scales of the SF-36. Brazilians scored less than their international counterparts on almost all of SF-36 domains and both summary component scales, except on general health status (US), pain (UK) and vitality (Australia, US and Canada). CONCLUSION: The differences in the SF-36 scores between age groups, genders and countries confirm that these Brazilian norms are necessary for comparative purposes. The data will be useful for assessing the health status of the general population and of patient populations, and the effect of interventions on health-related quality of life.

Mecanismos de microrregulação aplicados por operadoras de planos de saúde sobre hospitais privados / Mechanisms of microregulation of private hospitals by health plan operators

OBJETIVO: Analisar os mecanismos de microrregulação aplicados pelas operadoras de planos de saúde nas práticas de gestão da clínica e de qualificação assistencial em hospitais prestadores de serviços. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal realizado em inquérito de abrangência nacional, cujo universo foi constituído pelos hospitais prestadores de serviços às operadoras de planos de saúde em 2006. Foi construída uma amostra de 83 unidades, estratificada segundo macrorregião do Brasil e tipo de hospital. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de aplicação de questionário em entrevista aos dirigentes dos hospitais. RESULTADOS: A microrregulação que as operadoras de planos de saúde exercem sobre os hospitais em termos da qualificação da assistência foi muito baixa ou quase nula. A atuação das operadoras foi majoritariamente destinada ao intenso controle da quantidade de serviços utilizados pelos pacientes. Os hospitais que prestavam serviços a operadoras de planos de saúde não constituíam micro-sistemas de saúde paralelos ou suplementares ao Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Observou-se que os prestadores hospitalares privados eram majoritariamente vinculados ao SUS. Entretanto, não pertenciam à rede alguma de prestadores privados, ainda que fossem objeto de forte regulação da utilização de seus serviços, exercida pelas operadoras de planos de saúde. A intervenção das operadoras de planos de saúde enquanto gestoras de sistemas de cuidado foi incipiente ou quase ausente. Aproximadamente a metade dos hospitais declarou adotar diretrizes clínicas, enquanto apenas 25,4 por cento afirmaram exercer a gestão da patologia e 30,5 por cento mencionaram a gestão dos casos. CONCLUSÕES: As relações contratuais entre hospitais e operadoras de planos de saúde se constituem em contratos meramente comerciais com pouca ou nenhuma incorporação de aspectos relativos à qualidade da assistência contratada, limitando-se, em geral, a aspectos como definição de valores, de prazos e procedimentos ...(AU)

Mecanismos de microrregulação aplicados por operadoras de planos de saúde sobre hospitais privados / Mechanisms of microregulation of private hospitals by health plan operators

OBJETIVO: Analisar os mecanismos de microrregulação aplicados pelas operadoras de planos de saúde nas práticas de gestão da clínica e de qualificação assistencial em hospitais prestadores de serviços. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal realizado em inquérito de abrangência nacional, cujo universo foi constituído pelos hospitais prestadores de serviços às operadoras de planos de saúde em 2006. Foi construída uma amostra de 83 unidades, estratificada segundo macrorregião do Brasil e tipo de hospital. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de aplicação de questionário em entrevista aos dirigentes dos hospitais. RESULTADOS: A microrregulação que as operadoras de planos de saúde exercem sobre os hospitais em termos da qualificação da assistência foi muito baixa ou quase nula. A atuação das operadoras foi majoritariamente destinada ao intenso controle da quantidade de serviços utilizados pelos pacientes. Os hospitais que prestavam serviços a operadoras de planos de saúde não constituíam micro-sistemas de saúde paralelos ou suplementares ao Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Observou-se que os prestadores hospitalares privados eram majoritariamente vinculados ao SUS. Entretanto, não pertenciam à rede alguma de prestadores privados, ainda que fossem objeto de forte regulação da utilização de seus serviços, exercida pelas operadoras de planos de saúde. A intervenção das operadoras de planos de saúde enquanto gestoras de sistemas de cuidado foi incipiente ou quase ausente. Aproximadamente a metade dos hospitais declarou adotar diretrizes clínicas, enquanto apenas 25,4 por cento afirmaram exercer a gestão da patologia e 30,5 por cento mencionaram a gestão dos casos. CONCLUSÕES: As relações contratuais entre hospitais e operadoras de planos de saúde se constituem em contratos meramente comerciais com pouca ou nenhuma incorporação de aspectos relativos à qualidade da assistência contratada, limitando-se, em geral, a aspectos como definição de valores, de prazos e procedimentos ...

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the mechanisms employed by health plan operators for microregulation of clinical management and health care qualification within care-providing hospitals. METHODS: A nation-wide cross-sectional study was carried out. The universe consisted of hospitals which provided care to health plan operators in 2006. A sample of 83 units was selected, stratified by Brazilian macroregion and type of hospital. Data were obtained by means of a questionnaire administered to hospital managers. RESULTS: Microregulation of hospitals by health plan operators was minimal or almost absent in terms of health care qualification. Operator activity focused predominantly on intense control of the amount of services used by patients. Hospitals providing services to health plan operators did not constitute health micro-systems parallel or supplementary to the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS - Brazilian National Health System). The private care-providing hospitals were predominantly associated with SUS. However, these did not belong to a private care-provider network, even though their service usage was subject to strong regulation by health plan operators. Operator intervention in the form of system management was incipient or virtually absent. Roughly one-half of investigated hospitals reported adopting clinical directives, whereas only 25.4 percent reported managing pathology and 30.5 percent reported managing cases. CONCLUSIONS: Contractual relationships between hospitals and health plan operators are merely commercial contracts with little if any incorporation of aspects related to the quality of care, being generally limited to aspects such as establishment of prices, timeframes, and payment procedures.

Mechanisms of microregulation of private hospitals by health plan operators.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the mechanisms employed by health plan operators for microregulation of clinical management and health care qualification within care-providing hospitals. METHODS: A nation-wide cross-sectional study was carried out. The universe consisted of hospitals which provided care to health plan operators in 2006. A sample of 83 units was selected, stratified by Brazilian macroregion and type of hospital. Data were obtained by means of a questionnaire administered to hospital managers. RESULTS: Microregulation of hospitals by health plan operators was minimal or almost absent in terms of health care qualification. Operator activity focused predominantly on intense control of the amount of services used by patients. Hospitals providing services to health plan operators did not constitute health micro-systems parallel or supplementary to the Sistema Unico de Saúde (SUS - Brazilian National Health System). The private care-providing hospitals were predominantly associated with SUS. However, these did not belong to a private care-provider network, even though their service usage was subject to strong regulation by health plan operators. Operator intervention in the form of system management was incipient or virtually absent. Roughly one-half of investigated hospitals reported adopting clinical directives, whereas only 25.4% reported managing pathology and 30.5% reported managing cases. CONCLUSIONS: Contractual relationships between hospitals and health plan operators are merely commercial contracts with little if any incorporation of aspects related to the quality of care, being generally limited to aspects such as establishment of prices, timeframes, and payment procedures.

Digital inclusion and health counselors: a policy for the reduction of social inequalities in Brazil.

Inequalities in health conditions remain even twenty years after the implementation of Unified Health System (SUS). This condition burdens social movements exerting social control on the health care area with a continuous fight. In this struggle, the accumulation of political power is related to an increase in the capacity to acquire knowledge and information. This study aims at fathoming the inequality surrounding the digital inclusion of Health Counselors (HC) of different regions within the country. We have adopted the qualitative survey method, which employs the Focal Groups technique, with HC representing managers, services providers, workers and users, all from national, state and municipal levels. Four aspects were examined, comprising reading and writing habits; Internet utilization; the use of health indicators; and the role of information in the Council-State-Society relation. Results have evidenced the need to broaden the foundations of digital inclusion initiatives in the health care area, and to overcome the cross-sector challenge of linking them to politics and education. By using benchmarks of educational philosophy, we were able to outline a theoretical-analytical matrix as a contribution to understanding the complexity involved in fostering digital inclusion in the health care area.

Inclusão digital e conselheiros de saúde: uma política para a redução da desigualdade social no Brasil / Digital inclusion and health counselors: a policy for the reduction of social inequalities in Brazil

Inequalities in health conditions remain even twenty years after the implementation of Unified Health System (SUS). This condition burdens social movements exerting social control on the health care area with a continuous fight. In this struggle, the accumulation of political power is related to an increase in the capacity to acquire knowledge and information. This study aims at fathoming the inequality surrounding the digital inclusion of Health Counselors (HC) of different regions within the country. We have adopted the qualitative survey method, which employs the Focal Groups technique, with HC representing managers, services providers, workers and users, all from national, state and municipal levels. Four aspects were examined, comprising reading and writing habits; Internet utilization; the use of health indicators; and the role of information in the Council-State-Society relation. Results have evidenced the need to broaden the foundations of digital inclusion initiatives in the health care area, and to overcome the cross-sector challenge of linking them to politics and education. By using benchmarks of educational philosophy, we were able to outline a theoretical-analytical matrix as a contribution to understanding the complexity involved in fostering digital inclusion in the health care area.

Após vinte anos do SUS, a desigualdade nas condições de saúde da população permanece como uma realidade, impondo aos movimentos sociais que exercem o controle social sobre a saúde uma contínua luta. Nesse embate, o acúmulo de força política está relacionado ao aumento da capacidade de apropriação de conhecimento e informação. Conhecer dimensões da desigualdade na inclusão digital de conselheiros de saúde (CS) de diferentes regiões do país é o objetivo desse trabalho. O método adotado foi a pesquisa qualitativa, por meio da técnica de grupos focais com CS representantes dos gestores, dos prestadores, dos trabalhadores e dos usuários, atuantes na esfera nacional, estadual ou municipal. Foram trabalhadas quatro dimensões, abrangendo: o hábito de leitura e de redigir textos; o uso da Internet; o uso de indicadores de saúde e o papel da informação na relação Conselho-Estado-Sociedade. Os resultados indicaram a necessidade de se ampliar a fundamentação das ações de inclusão digital em saúde, articulando-a, então, à política e à educação, enquanto desafio intersetorial. Utilizando referenciais da filosofia da educação, delineia-se matriz teórico-analítica como contribuição ao entendimento da complexidade que envolve promover a inclusão digital na Saúde.

Fatores associados ao uso de diretrizes clínicas em operadoras de planos de saúde e prestadores de serviços hospitalares no campo da Saúde Suplementar no Brasil / Factors associated with the use of clinical guidelines by health plan operators and their inpatient care providers

Este artigo objetiva identificar fatores associados ao uso de diretrizes clínicas, segundo percepção de dirigentes respondentes, em operadoras de planos de saúde e prestadores de serviços hospitalares no campo da saúde suplementar no Brasil. Utiliza dados de dois inquéritos de abrangência nacional: um envolvendo 90 operadoras selecionadas aleatoriamente de um universo de 1.573, voltado para a caracterização da implementação de diretrizes clínicas e outros instrumentos e práticas de gestão da clínica; e outro envolvendo 74 hospitais, selecionados de um universo de 3.817 prestadores de serviços hospitalares a planos de saúde, destinado a apreender os mecanismos de microrregulação das operadoras e suas possíveis repercussões sobre as práticas dos hospitais. Referiram o uso de diretrizes clínicas 32,3 por cento das operadoras e 51,6 por cento dos hospitais. Entre as primeiras, mostraram-se independentemente associados ao uso de diretrizes, localização geográfica, tipo e porte da operadora, enquanto que, entre os hospitais, porte, complexidade e uso de outras ferramentas da gestão da clínica. Os resultados evidenciam o quanto ainda é incipiente e insatisfatória a gestão, por operadoras e hospitais, sobre a qualidade dos cuidados à saúde providos aos pacientes.

This paper is aimed at identifying factors related to the use of clinical guidelines by health plan operators and their inpatient care providers in the supplementary care sector in Brazil from the viewpoint of managers. The study is based on two national surveys: one involving 90 health plan operators randomly selected from a universe of 1573, oriented towards characterizing the implementation of clinical guidelines and other tools of clinical governance; and another involving 74 hospitals, selected from a universe of 3817 inpatient care providers, aimed at capturing micro-regulation mechanisms applied by health plan operators and their repercussions on hospital practices. Use of clinical guidelines was reported by 32.3 percent of the health plan operators, and 51.6 percent of the hospitals interviewed. Among the first, geographical location, type and size of the organization were independently associated with use of clinical guidelines while among the hospitals size, complexity and use of other tools of clinical governance were independently associated with the dependent variable. The results show how incipient and unsatisfactory the intervention of the health plan and hospital managements still is with regard to the quality of health services offered to the beneficiaries.

[Factors associated with the use of clinical guidelines by health plan operators and their inpatient care providers]. / Fatores associados ao uso de diretrizes clínicas em operadoras de planos de saúde e prestadores de serviços hospitalares no campo da Saúde Suplementar no Brasil.

This paper is aimed at identifying factors related to the use of clinical guidelines by health plan operators and their inpatient care providers in the supplementary care sector in Brazil from the viewpoint of managers. The study is based on two national surveys: one involving 90 health plan operators randomly selected from a universe of 1573, oriented towards characterizing the implementation of clinical guidelines and other tools of clinical governance; and another involving 74 hospitals, selected from a universe of 3817 inpatient care providers, aimed at capturing micro-regulation mechanisms applied by health plan operators and their repercussions on hospital practices. Use of clinical guidelines was reported by 32.3% of the health plan operators, and 51.6% of the hospitals interviewed. Among the first, geographical location, type and size of the organization were independently associated with use of clinical guidelines while among the hospitals size, complexity and use of other tools of clinical governance were independently associated with the dependent variable. The results show how incipient and unsatisfactory the intervention of the health plan and hospital managements still is with regard to the quality of health services offered to the beneficiaries.

[Cervical cancer as a tracer condition: a proposal for evaluation of primary health care]. / Câncer cérvico-uterino como condição marcadora: uma proposta de avaliação da atenção básica.

The use of tracer conditions as an evaluative technique suggests the possibility of inferring the quality of health care and setting evaluation standards for programmed actions. As a government strategy, primary health care is a key element for reorganization of the Brazilian health care model. This study analyzes the use of cervical cancer as a tracer condition for assessing primary care. Based on the results from questions on measures to control the disease from the perspective of health professionals and cervical cancer patients, we constructed a matrix of indicators relating primary care attributes to process/results indicators. The analytical plan to validate the results used triangulation of methods, associating data from qualitative and quantitative approaches, in addition to combining and cross-analyzing the various actors' points of view. The results suggest that cervical cancer is an excellent tracer condition for primary care in general, based on the similarity of such concepts as accessibility, coverage, comprehensiveness, technical and scientific quality, and effectiveness.

[Health records: evaluation of patient health charts in primary care, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]. / Registros em saúde: avaliação da qualidade do prontuário do paciente na atenção básica, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

With the purpose of contributing to the evaluation of primary care, a study was conducted based on the quality of patients' health charts, considering the records for care provided in 4 municipalities with more than 100 thousand inhabitants each in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2004. This was a cross-sectional study based on primary data collected from direct consultation of patient charts. A two-stage, probabilistic cluster sample was selected from primary care facilities and consultations/patient charts. We checked the completeness of attributes pertaining to the identification of users receiving care and the characteristics of the care itself (weight, blood pressure, Pap tests, and blood glucose) on the charts of women over 19 years of age with hypertension and/or diabetes. User identification showed a low presence of social attributes, and only half of the charts had recorded the opening date. Records of process characteristics in care provided to women with hypertension and diabetes failed to conform to Brazilian Ministry of Health guidelines. Analysis of completeness suggests dubious quality in the continuity of the care provided and difficulties in management practice for primary care and implementation of the Family Health Strategy.

[An analysis of managed care provided by charitable hospitals in Brazil]. / Uma análise das operadoras de planos próprios de saúde dos hospitais filantrópicos no Brasil.

This article describes charitable hospitals in Brazil that provide managed care and the health management organizations themselves, considering the level of autonomy by the latter in relation to the hospitals and their degree of management development, based on a nationwide study. A random sample of individual hospitals was drawn from the hospital groups. After refusals and replacements, the final sample consisted of 112 individual hospitals and 10 hospital groups. The charitable hospitals' managed care plans do no operate precisely according to the overall Brazilian health plan market, in which most of the managed care is situated in insurance companies, group medicine, and medical cooperatives. Rather than operating as typical plans, they function "inside the organization or hospital itself", almost always with a limited management infrastructure and with little autonomy in relation to the organizations harboring them. Individual plans were more common than collective products, unlike the rest of the market, which may also result from the limited management capacity of these arrangements.

Uma análise das operadoras de planos próprios de saúde dos hospitais filantrópicos no Brasil / An analysis of managed care provided by charitable hospitals in Brazil

Este artigo caracteriza os hospitais filantrópicos com operadoras de planos de saúde, as operadoras em si, considerando seu nível de autonomia em relação aos hospitais e seu grau de desenvolvimento gerencial a partir de um estudo nacional. Foi constituída uma amostra aleatória de hospitais individuais e considerado o universo dos conglomerados hospitalares. Considerando as recusas e substituições restaram 112 hospitais individuais e dez conglomerados hospitalares. As operadoras de hospitais filantrópicos não operam exatamente dentro do mercado de planos, onde se encontra a maior parte das operadoras - seguradoras, empresas de medicina de grupo e cooperativas médicas. Não se constituem como operadoras típicas, mas funcionam a partir de "dentro da própria entidade ou hospital", quase sempre em condições limitadas de estruturas de gestão e com pouca autonomia em relação às entidades que as abrigam. Observa-se um peso maior dos planos individuais em relação aos produtos coletivos, diferentemente do resto do mercado, o que além de outras determinações pode também ser decorrente de sua limitada capacidade gerencial.

This article describes charitable hospitals in Brazil that provide managed care and the health management organizations themselves, considering the level of autonomy by the latter in relation to the hospitals and their degree of management development, based on a nationwide study. A random sample of individual hospitals was drawn from the hospital groups. After refusals and replacements, the final sample consisted of 112 individual hospitals and 10 hospital groups. The charitable hospitals' managed care plans do no operate precisely according to the overall Brazilian health plan market, in which most of the managed care is situated in insurance companies, group medicine, and medical cooperatives. Rather than operating as typical plans, they function "inside the organization or hospital itself", almost always with a limited management infrastructure and with little autonomy in relation to the organizations harboring them. Individual plans were more common than collective products, unlike the rest of the market, which may also result from the limited management capacity of these arrangements.

Câncer cérvico-uterino como condição marcadora: uma proposta de avaliação da atenção básica / Cervical cancer as a tracer condition: a proposal for evaluation of primary health care

O uso de condições marcadoras/traçadoras como técnica avaliativa sugere a possibilidade de inferência da qualidade da atenção à saúde e definição de focos avaliativos das ações programáticas. A Atenção Básica, enquanto estratégia governamental, constitui importante elemento de reorganização do modelo assistencial. Este estudo objetiva refletir sobre o uso da condição marcadora "câncer cérvico-uterino" como mecanismo de avaliação da Atenção Básica. Com base nos resultados obtidos pelas questões relativas às ações voltadas para o controle da doença, da percepção de profissionais de saúde e de usuárias portadoras da patologia, construiu-se uma matriz de indicadores relacionando atributos da Atenção Básica e indicadores de processo/resultado. O plano de análise utilizado para validar os resultados fez uso da triangulação de métodos, associando dados provenientes das abordagens qualitativa e quantitativa, além de combinar e cruzar diversos pontos de vista apreendidos dos atores envolvidos. Os resultados encontrados sugerem o câncer de colo uterino como condição marcadora da Atenção Básica por excelência, a partir da similaridade de conceitos como acessibilidade, cobertura, integralidade, qualidade técnico-científica e efetividade.

The use of tracer conditions as an evaluative technique suggests the possibility of inferring the quality of health care and setting evaluation standards for programmed actions. As a government strategy, primary health care is a key element for reorganization of the Brazilian health care model. This study analyzes the use of cervical cancer as a tracer condition for assessing primary care. Based on the results from questions on measures to control the disease from the perspective of health professionals and cervical cancer patients, we constructed a matrix of indicators relating primary care attributes to process/results indicators. The analytical plan to validate the results used triangulation of methods, associating data from qualitative and quantitative approaches, in addition to combining and cross-analyzing the various actors' points of view. The results suggest that cervical cancer is an excellent tracer condition for primary care in general, based on the similarity of such concepts as accessibility, coverage, comprehensiveness, technical and scientific quality, and effectiveness.

Registros em saúde: avaliação da qualidade do prontuário do paciente na atenção básica, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil / Health records: evaluation of patient health charts in primary care, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Com o objetivo de contribuir para a avaliação da Atenção Básica, desenvolveu-se estudo que tem por referência a qualidade de prontuários dos pacientes, considerando os registros dos atendimentos realizados em quatro municípios acima de 100 mil habitantes no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, em 2004, esta pesquisa se trata de estudo transversal com base em dados primários, levantados por verificação direta no prontuário. Os atendimentos foram sorteados em amostra probabilística por conglomerado em dois estágios: estabelecimentos de atenção básica e atendimentos/prontuários. Verificou-se a completitude de atributos relativos à identificação dos usuários atendidos, em todos os prontuários, e a características do processo de atendimento (como peso, pressão arterial, colpocitologia e glicemia) nos prontuários de mulheres acima de 19 anos, hipertensas e diabéticas. Na identificação dos usuários, encontrou-se baixa presença dos atributos sociais e somente metade dos prontuários possuía registro da data de abertura. Os registros de características do processo de atendimento em mulheres, hipertensas e diabéticas, ficaram longe das proposições do Ministério da Saúde. A análise da completitude sugere discutível qualidade na continuidade do cuidado oferecido, dificuldades para a prática gerencial na Atenção Básica e para implementação da Estratégia Saúde da Família.

With the purpose of contributing to the evaluation of primary care, a study was conducted based on the quality of patients' health charts, considering the records for care provided in 4 municipalities with more than 100 thousand inhabitants each in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2004. This was a cross-sectional study based on primary data collected from direct consultation of patient charts. A two-stage, probabilistic cluster sample was selected from primary care facilities and consultations/patient charts. We checked the completeness of attributes pertaining to the identification of users receiving care and the characteristics of the care itself (weight, blood pressure, Pap tests, and blood glucose) on the charts of women over 19 years of age with hypertension and/or diabetes. User identification showed a low presence of social attributes, and only half of the charts had recorded the opening date. Records of process characteristics in care provided to women with hypertension and diabetes failed to conform to Brazilian Ministry of Health guidelines. Analysis of completeness suggests dubious quality in the continuity of the care provided and difficulties in management practice for primary care and implementation of the Family Health Strategy.

[Consumer satisfaction study in philanthropic hospital health plans]. / Estudo de satisfação dos beneficiários de planos de saúde de hospitais filantrópicos.

This paper presents the findings of research aimed at identifying and analyzing the argumentation and rationale that justify the satisfaction of consumers with their health plans. The qualitative method applied used the focus group technique, for which the following aspects were defined: the criteria for choosing the health plans which were considered, the composition of the group and its distribution, recruitment strategy, and infrastructure and dynamics of the meetings. The health plan beneficiaries were classified into groups according to their social class, the place where they lived, mainly, the relationship that they established with the health plan operators which enabled us to develop a typology for the plan beneficiaries. Initially, we indicated how the health plan beneficiaries assess and use the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), and, then, considering the types of plans defined, we evaluated their degree of satisfaction with the different aspects of health care, and identified which aspects mostly contributed explain their satisfaction.

[Information technology for health education: two revisions and a proposal]. / Tecnologia de informação para a educação na saúde: duas revisões e uma proposta.

This paper presents two revisions: one discusses the absorption of information technologies in Health and Education; the other presents a revision of technological concepts applicable to professional healthcare education. The objectives are to demonstrate the relevance of including these technologies in large-scale institutional training projects for healthcare practitioners in Brazil's National Health System, presenting material and political devices for teaching-learning processes that foster the sharing of content, the reusability of educational materials and interdisciplinarity. This paper thus illustrates the possibilities of adopting standards and the development of learning objects as content creation, distribution and management technologies. In the political sphere, institutional leadership and cooperation networks are highlighted as key elements for clustering the efforts of academic institutions, training centers and services for collectively building up a Healthcare Education Technology base.