[Case-resolving capacity of health care services according to a household survey: users' perceptions]

The objective of this study was to identify the case-resolving capacity of health care services used by individuals who reported a health problem within two weeks prior to the interview and to unveil their respective perceptions of the solution to the problem. Data were obtained from a household morbidity survey including 10,199 interviewees, performed in the southwestern area of the city of São Paulo, Brazil, in 1989/1990. Some health problem was reported by 31.3% of interviewees, and 47.7% sought help to solve their problem. Primary health services were the main gateway into the health system (35.7%), followed by hospitals (25.4%), and outpatient clinics (24.3%). The case-resolving capacity in the medical services was greater than 90%; 44.5% had their problem solved, 35.5% were under treatment, and 10.5% reported that their problem had not been solved. The largest proportion of problems solved belonged to respiratory and digestive system, infectious and parasitic diseases, and ill-defined symptoms, signs, and conditions. Due to the large proportion of individuals still in treatment, this study does not allow one to conclude that the health care services had a high case-resolving capacity, although they were capable of handling the patient demand.