Patient Participation in Service Improvement of Primary Care Services

Abstract

Healthcare services from western economies use patient and public participation to promote quality improvement. In Brazil, community participation is a guideline for the public healthcare system. However, community participation is little developed and few efforts are made to improve it. Through a case study, we described and analyze the service improvement process used in SUS primary care units of Florianopolis and the community involvement in this process. Semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals, and community representatives were conducted. Results show that improvements are made in local improvements or in an annual planning process, and the community participation in them is low. The annual planning process have deficiencies in its methodology and conduction. The adoption of co-creative methods can improve community participation on SUS and strengthen its participation policy. These methods can also help better structure improvement processes.

Cyclical experience‐based design: A proposal for engaging stakeholders in a co‐creative model for primary health care service design

“…Further details of both studies, PHC and EBCD, were previously published. 37,42 In order to detail and operationalise the model each stage of the model should answer the following questions 43 items a-c : (a) What is the stage? (b) What should be done?…”

“…More commonly, participants act as consultants and not contributors to decisions about healthcare services. 37 Therefore, we need more tools to aid community participation in PHC service design.…”