Avaliação da prática do Cirurgião-Dentista da Atenção Básica, utilizando o instrumento PCATool – Brasil Saúde Bucal para Profissionais Dentistas

Abstract

Primary Health Care (PHC) is characterized by a set of healthcare actions at both individual and collective levels. It represents the first level of care within the healthcare system and is guided by essential attributes (first-contact access, longitudinality, comprehensiveness, and coordination) as well as derived attributes (family-centered care, community orientation, and cultural competence). This study aims to evaluate the performance of dentists and oral health services in accordance with the primary care attributes using the PCATooL – Brazil tool. The PCATool instrument was distributed to dentists for email using a Google Forms platform, allowing for online responses. A total of 54 primary care dentists from different health districts in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, participated in this study. Each attribute was assessed by calculating the arithmetic mean of its components and transforming the scores into a scale from 0 to 10. The data was also correlated with the 2019 PMAQ data. The results revealed an overall score of 6.34 and an essential score of 6.95. Attributes with the highest performance included: Comprehensiveness – Services provided (8.31), Comprehensiveness – Services available (7.83), Coordination – Information system (7.57), and Family Orientation (6.81). On the other hand, attributes with the lowest performance were: First-contact access (3.87), Cultural competence (4.62), Longitudinality (5.51), Community orientation (5.62), and Coordination – Care integration (6.15). Attributes like first-contact access and cultural competence revealed weaknesses in the healthcare system, as also reported in other studies. The sample was composed of 70% women and 30% men of different ages. It was observed that dentists with more years of work experience in the unit also had higher score values. It was also possible to identify a positive correlation when relating the score data to the characteristics of the units and the context of the territory. It is important to promote attributes with low scores and enhance the others, in a collaborative effort among managers, professionals, and society, aiming for high-quality Primary Health Care.