Family and community orientation in children's primary healthcare

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatric Primary Care
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Family Health Units (FHUs) are crucial for pediatric primary care.
• Assessing family and community orientation is vital for effective child health services.
• Previous studies indicate variability in primary care orientation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the principle of family and community orientation in FHUs for children under 10.
• To identify deficits in primary care orientation related to family and community engagement.
• To inform healthcare planning and management for improved pediatric services.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative assessment study involving 344 family members/carers of children under 10.
• Utilized the Primary Care Assessment Tool - Brasil (children's version) for data collection.
• Analyzed Family Orientation and Community Orientation variables using descriptive statistics.

Main Results:

• Average scores for Family and Community Orientation components ranged from 3.7 to 5.7.
• These scores fall below the benchmark of 6.6 required for adequate primary healthcare orientation.
• Indicates a weak orientation of family and community attributes in the evaluated primary care services.

Conclusions:

• Primary care services in the evaluated FHUs demonstrate weak family and community orientation for child health.
• There is a clear need for enhanced macro- and micro-political strategies in healthcare planning and management.
• A comprehensive approach is necessary to ensure effective and complete healthcare for children under 10.