Can mothers rely on the Brazilian health system for their deliveries? An assessment of use of the public system and out-of-pocket expenditure in the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort Study, Brazil

Access to and satisfaction with oral health care among persons with HIV/Aids in Northeastern Brazil

RESUMO Este estudo objetivou avaliar, na perspectiva das Pessoas Vivendo com HIV/Aids (PVHA), uso e satisfação com os serviços públicos de saúde bucal no Sistema Único de Saúde em Fortaleza (CE). Aplicaram-se questionários estruturados sobre perfil socioeconômico, uso e satisfação dos serviços públicos de saúde bucal para 241 PVHA que frequentam 8 Serviços de Assistência Especializada em HIV/Aids. A idade média dos usuários foi de 37,8 ± 9,6 anos; 161 (68,3%) do sexo masculino; com ensino médio completo (n=79; 32,8%); 59 (24,5%) ganham até 1 salário mínimo (US$ 255). Apenas 155 (64,3%) foram ao dentista nos dois anos anteriores. Destes, 68 (28,2%) frequentavam serviços públicos, 31 (45,6%) dos quais não completaram o tratamento por falta de materiais/equipamentos defeituosos/reformas nas unidades de saúde. A nota média atribuída pelo paciente ao atendimento dos profissionais foi 7,6 (±2,5), 50 (73,6%) declararam-se muito satisfeitos/satisfeitos. Quanto ao atendimento humanizado, 59 (86,7%) estavam muito satisfeitos/satisfeitos. Pacientes encaminhados pelo Serviços de Assistência Especializada em HIV/Aids e os que residem perto das unidades de saúde tiveram probabilidade significativamente maior de usar os serviços públicos. Apesar do uso limitado dos serviços públicos de saúde bucal, principalmente devido ao acesso insuficiente e aos procedimentos ineficazes de agendamento, os serviços usados pelos entrevistados foram avaliados satisfatoriamente.

Satisfação e acesso à saúde bucal das pessoas que vivem com HIV/Aids no nordeste brasileiro

RESUMO Este estudo objetivou avaliar, na perspectiva das Pessoas Vivendo com HIV/Aids (PVHA), uso e satisfação com os serviços públicos de saúde bucal no Sistema Único de Saúde em Fortaleza (CE). Aplicaram-se questionários estruturados sobre perfil socioeconômico, uso e satisfação dos serviços públicos de saúde bucal para 241 PVHA que frequentam 8 Serviços de Assistência Especializada em HIV/Aids. A idade média dos usuários foi de 37,8 ± 9,6 anos; 161 (68,3%) do sexo masculino; com ensino médio completo (n=79; 32,8%); 59 (24,5%) ganham até 1 salário mínimo (US$ 255). Apenas 155 (64,3%) foram ao dentista nos dois anos anteriores. Destes, 68 (28,2%) frequentavam serviços públicos, 31 (45,6%) dos quais não completaram o tratamento por falta de materiais/equipamentos defeituosos/reformas nas unidades de saúde. A nota média atribuída pelo paciente ao atendimento dos profissionais foi 7,6 (±2,5), 50 (73,6%) declararam-se muito satisfeitos/satisfeitos. Quanto ao atendimento humanizado, 59 (86,7%) estavam muito satisfeitos/satisfeitos. Pacientes encaminhados pelo Serviços de Assistência Especializada em HIV/Aids e os que residem perto das unidades de saúde tiveram probabilidade significativamente maior de usar os serviços públicos. Apesar do uso limitado dos serviços públicos de saúde bucal, principalmente devido ao acesso insuficiente e aos procedimentos ineficazes de agendamento, os serviços usados pelos entrevistados foram avaliados satisfatoriamente.

Utilization of the Brazilian public health system by privately insured individuals: a literature review

More than one in four Brazilians have private health insurance (PHI), even thought it covers mostly the same procedures as the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS). This literature review included articles and monographs published since 1990 about the utilization of SUS by privately insured individuals. Considering outpatient care and hospitalization, privately insured people in Brazil use SUS in approximately 13% of the times they receive health care, and approximately 7% of people receiving care paid by SUS are privately insured; these findings vary depending on the type of service studied and on study methods. Utilization of SUS is more frequent in less developed regions, by people with more restricted PHI plans and by people with worse health status. Privately insured people report the limitations of PHI plans as their reasons for resorting to SUS. Sometimes, beneficiaries of PHI plans owned by nonprofit hospitals (which also provide health care financed by SUS) have easier access to care than uninsured people financed by SUS. Anecdotally, privately insured people are satisfied with SUS, but not to the point of adopting SUS as their preferred source of care. In short, for privately insured people, SUS only plays a secondary role in their health care. Despite PHI taking over part of the SUS's health care demand, PHI represents a restriction of the universal, equitable character of the SUS.

Scientometric trends and knowledge maps of global health systems research

BACKGROUND

In the last few decades, health systems research (HSR) has garnered much attention with a rapid increase in the related literature. This study aims to review and evaluate the global progress in HSR and assess the current quantitative trends.

METHODS

Based on data from the Web of Science database, scientometric methods and knowledge visualization techniques were applied to evaluate global scientific production and develop trends of HSR from 1900 to 2012.

RESULTS

HSR has increased rapidly over the past 20 years. Currently, there are 28,787 research articles published in 3,674 journals that are listed in 140 Web of Science subject categories. The research in this field has mainly focused on public, environmental and occupational health (6,178, 21.46%), health care sciences and services (5,840, 20.29%), and general and internal medicine (3,783, 13.14%). The top 10 journals had published 2,969 (10.31%) articles and received 5,229 local citations and 40,271 global citations. The top 20 authors together contributed 628 papers, which accounted for a 2.18% share in the cumulative worldwide publications. The most productive author was McKee, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, with 48 articles. In addition, USA and American institutions ranked the first in health system research productivity, with high citation times, followed by the UK and Canada.

CONCLUSIONS

HSR is an interdisciplinary area. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries showed they are the leading nations in HSR. Meanwhile, American and Canadian institutions and the World Health Organization play a dominant role in the production, collaboration, and citation of high quality articles. Moreover, health policy and analysis research, health systems and sub-systems research, healthcare and services research, health, epidemiology and economics of communicable and non-communicable diseases, primary care research, health economics and health costs, and pharmacy of hospital have been identified as the mainstream topics in HSR fields. These findings will provide evidence of the current status and trends in HSR all over the world, as well as clues to the impact of this popular topic; thus, helping scientific researchers and policy makers understand the panorama of HSR and predict the dynamic directions of research.

Equity in maternal, newborn, and child health interventions in Countdown to 2015: a retrospective review of survey data from 54 countries

BACKGROUND

Countdown to 2015 tracks progress towards achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5, with particular emphasis on within-country inequalities. We assessed how inequalities in maternal, newborn, and child health interventions vary by intervention and country.

METHODS

We reanalysed data for 12 maternal, newborn, and child health interventions from national surveys done in 54 Countdown countries between Jan 1, 2000, and Dec 31, 2008. We calculated coverage indicators for interventions according to standard definitions, and stratified them by wealth quintiles on the basis of asset indices. We assessed inequalities with two summary indices for absolute inequality and two for relative inequality.

FINDINGS

Skilled birth attendant coverage was the least equitable intervention, according to all four summary indices, followed by four or more antenatal care visits. The most equitable intervention was early initation of breastfeeding. Chad, Nigeria, Somalia, Ethiopia, Laos, and Niger were the most inequitable countries for the interventions examined, followed by Madagascar, Pakistan, and India. The most equitable countries were Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Community-based interventions were more equally distributed than those delivered in health facilities. For all interventions, variability in coverage between countries was larger for the poorest than for the richest individuals.

INTERPRETATION

We noted substantial variations in coverage levels between interventions and countries. The most inequitable interventions should receive attention to ensure that all social groups are reached. Interventions delivered in health facilities need specific strategies to enable the countries' poorest individuals to be reached. The most inequitable countries need additional efforts to reduce the gap between the poorest individuals and those who are more affluent.

FUNDING

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Norad, The World Bank.

Avoidable deaths in the first four years of life among children in the 2004 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort study

Avoidable deaths have been employed as indicators of health care quality. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with avoidable deaths from birth to four years of age among children from the 2004 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort study. From January 1st, 2004, to December 31st, 2005, deaths were monitored on a daily basis and the causes were investigated and classified according to avoidability. After the first year, deaths were monitored through the Mortality Information System. A total of 94 children died during this period. It was possible to classify 92 deaths, 70 of which were preventable. Low family income, fewer prenatal visits and poor-quality prenatal care, preterm birth, low 5-minute Apgar score, and no breastfeeding in the first 24 hours of life were associated with increased risk of death. Prematurity was present in 39 deaths, but only five of these would have been prevented by measures provided during prenatal care. Although limited, compliance with antenatal care program guidelines is still the most important strategy for preventing avoidable deaths in childhood, particularly among the poorest children.

Patterns of deliveries in a Brazilian birth cohort: almost universal cesarean sections for the better-off

OBJECTIVE

To describe the patterns of deliveries in a birth cohort and to compare vaginal and cesarean section deliveries.

METHODS

All children born to mothers from the urban area of Pelotas, Brazil, in 2004, were recruited for a birth cohort study. Mothers were contacted and interviewed during their hospital stay when extensive information on the gestation, the birth and the newborn, along with maternal health history and family characteristics was collected. Maternal characteristics and childbirth care financing - either private or public healthcare (SUS) patients - were the main factors investigated along with a description of C-sections distribution according to day of the week and delivery time. Standard descriptive techniques, Χ² tests for comparing proportions and Poisson regression to explore the independent effect of C-section predictors were the methods used.

RESULTS

The overall C-section rate was 45%, 36% among SUS and 81% among private patients, where 35% of C-sections were reported elective. C-sections were more frequent on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, reducing by about a third on Sundays, while normal deliveries had a uniform distribution along the week. Delivery time for C-sections was markedly different among public and private patients. Maternal schooling was positively associated with C-section among SUS patients, but not among private patients.

CONCLUSIONS

C-sections were almost universal among the wealthier mothers, and strongly related to maternal education among SUS patients. The patterns we describe are compatible with the idea that C-sections are largely done to suit the doctor's schedule. Drastic action is called for to change the current situation.

Socio-economic and ethnic group inequities in antenatal care quality in the public and private sector in Brazil

BACKGROUND

Socio-economic inequalities in maternal and child health are ubiquitous, but limited information is available on how much the quality of care varies according to wealth or ethnicity in low- and middle-income countries. Also, little information exists on quality differences between public and private providers.

METHODS

Quality of care for women giving birth in 2004 in Pelotas, Brazil, was assessed by measuring how many of 11 procedures recommended by the Ministry of Health were performed. Information on family income, self-assessed skin colour, parity and type of provider were collected.

RESULTS

Antenatal care was used by 98% of the 4244 women studied (mean number of visits 8.3), but the number of consultations was higher among better-off and white women, who were also more likely to start antenatal care in the first trimester. The quality of antenatal care score ranged from 0 to 11, with an overall mean of 8.3 (SD 1.7). Mean scores were 8.9 (SD 1.5) in the wealthiest and 7.9 (SD 1.8) in the poorest quintiles (P < 0.001), 8.4 (SD 1.6) in white and 8.1 (SD 1.9) in black women (P < 0.001). Adjusted analyses showed that these differences seemed to be due to attendance patterns rather than discrimination. Mean quality scores were higher in the private 9.3 (SD 1.3) than in the public sector 8.1 (SD 1.6) (P < 0.001); these differences were not explained by maternal characteristics or by attendance patterns.

CONCLUSIONS

Special efforts must be made to improve quality of care in the public sector. Poor and black women should be actively encouraged to start antenatal care early in pregnancy so that they can fully benefit from it. There is a need for regular monitoring of antenatal attendances and quality of care with an equity lens, in order to assess how different social groups are benefiting from progress in health care.