Abstract

BOUSQUAT, Aylene; GOMES, Adriana  and  ALVES, Maria Cecilia Goi Porto. Access to the Family Healthcare Program in an area with "extensive" coverage of the private healthcare system. Ciênc. saúde coletiva [online]. 2012, vol.17, n.11, pp. 2913-2921. ISSN 1413-8123.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1413-81232012001100008.

The access profile to the various services offered by the Family Health Program (PSF) in an area with extensive private health system coverage is studied in the city of Santo André, state of São Paulo. The sample was studied in two phases based on the assumption that the use of the activities offered by the Family Health Program is not uniform. Residual, full and partial population groups were therefore considered. Interviews were conducted with 175 individuals and the registered population is composed of full (0.5%), partial (31.0%) and residual (68.5%) users. In the bivariate analysis, significant differences were observed between partial and residual groups in relation to age, income, employment, affiliation to the private subsystem and years of schooling. However, the ratios of prevalence when estimated by the Poisson multiple model indicate that the factors that influence the access profile of the PSF activities are private subsystem membership and income. This highlights the fact that some services offered do not reach more than 20% of the population. Despite the immense potential of innovative proposals incorporated by the PSF, this study shows that there is selective use of its activities by the population, strongly influenced by private subsystem affiliation and income.

Keywords : Family Health Program; Access to health services; Primary healthcare.