A atenção básica em saúde no Município de Ribeirão Pires: uma análise da gestão e organização do sistema de saúde

Abstract

This work consists of a case study into the Primary Health Care policy and set-up in Ribeirão Pires, a mid-sized municipality located in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo. The methodology was based on different contributions from evaluative literature about Primary Health Care, especially studies into policy implementation and studies focused on the role and configuration of Primary Health Care in the municipal health system. The main categories of analysis were the institutional political context, the configuration and organization of Primary Health Care, the care conditions at Family Health Units and the coordination between health services. The research involved various different methodological strategies, such as: literature review, documental analysis, analysis of primary and secondary data, and interviews with key actors. The study leads to the conclusion that important recent advances have been achieved in the administration and organization of health policy and primary health care, but heavier investment is required, especially in the Family Health Strategy, to provide well-structured and equipped units and give more value to the professionals.