[Health situation assessment by primary care workers based on geographic information systems]

Primary healthcare has made little use of information systems to assess the population's health situation due to the difficulty in understanding the reports. Generic definitions of actions are common, based on empirical observations. The current study aimed to evaluate whether the introduction of georeferenced indicators can serve to better identify individuals' health situation, which would help planning actions by health teams. Healthcare workers from eight teams answered a questionnaire at three different moments: the first, before reading the information system's reports; the second after reading; and the third after using georeferencing. The results showed a significant difference in the classification of the health situation using georeferencing when compared to the previous moments (p < 0.05). Georeferencing facilitated analysis of the health situation, fostering better monitoring of work processes. Finally, use of the data points to rationalization of actions and possible upgrading of healthcare. The study suggests the use of georeferencing in the work agenda to become an effective tool for orienting actions.