Scheduling, waiting time, absenteeism and repressed demand in outpatient physical therapy care

Abstract

Introduction: Access to physiotherapy services needs to be timely, avoiding the establishment of disabilities in users. Analyzing the demands in physiotherapy provides a basis for planning both the management of queues and preventive actions and the reorganization of services, directing them to the main needs of the public. Objective: To identify users who needed outpatient physiotherapy services in the Unified Health System (SUS) in Campo Grande/MS and to characterize those cared for and repressed demand, as well as analyzing absenteeism and the waiting time for access. Methods: We used secondary data from the Vacancy Regulation System and performed association and multivariate analyses, with a significance level of 5%. Results: Females were predominant and their number increased year by year; the largest number of requests was for adult motor disorders. The average waiting time in the period (2017-2019) was approximately 2.5 months. Absenteeism was 34% and increased yearly. Most appointments and absenteeism were from users from the region of greatest social exclusion. Most referrals of repressed demand were for primary care and for physical therapy treatment in adult motor disorders. Conclusion: The results showed excessive waiting time between the request and the scheduling, high rates of absenteeism and repressed demand. These aspects act synergistically as barriers to access to outpatient physical therapy care in the public network in the capital city studied, with significant negative impacts on users’ recovery.

Vazios assistenciais na reabilitação física: análise espacial dos serviços de fisioterapia e dos domicílios dos usuários em uma capital brasileira

“…A maior concentração de usuários agendados residia na região Anhanduizinho, onde não há serviço de fisioterapia e é a região com maior índice de exclusão social do município 18 . Em investigação do absenteísmo e tempos de espera para acesso aos serviços de fisioterapia de Campo Grande, observou-se que os usuários provenientes do Anhanduizinho eram os que mais faltavam às consultas agendadas aos serviços 19 .…”

“…Esses grupos são expressiva clientela dos serviços de fisioterapia. Assim, mesmo que os usuários consigam agendamento nos serviços públicos, são vários os obstáculos que atuam sinergicamente e constituem barreiras ao acesso, podendo contribuir para o absenteísmo ou abandono do tratamento 19,24 .…”

“…Como estratégia para enfrentamento desses desafios, o fortalecimento da atenção primária à saúde (APS) como espaço privilegiado e potente para a oferta de reabilitação tem sido defendido por autores nacionais 10,19,24 , internacionais 1,4 e pela OMS 2 .…”