Determinants of Patients' Perception of Primary Healthcare Quality: Empirical Analysis in the Brazilian Health System

Background/Objectives: Primary healthcare (PHC) plays a central role in the promotion of universal healthcare coverage within the Brazilian health system. Nevertheless, inequalities across municipalities represent substantial barriers to achieving equity in access to health, particularly due to disparities in the quality of healthcare delivered to patients. Thus, the study aimed to investigate factors associated with perception of PHC quality among adult individuals using private and public facilities within the Brazilian health system. Methods: The empirical approach was based on quantitative analysis of cross-sectional data from five nationally representative surveys conducted by the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, IBGE) in 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2019. Pairwise comparisons and marginal analyses allowed for the assessment of differences in patients' perception of healthcare quality according to source of funding and type of healthcare quality. A logistic regression model was estimated to identify factors associated with the perception of good quality of care. Model discrimination, calibration, and goodness-of-fit were assessed to ensure the robustness of analyses. Results: The results indicate that patients' satisfaction was positively associated with level of implementation of the national program based on payment for performance in public healthcare facilities, PMAQ-AB (OR = 3.376; p < 0.001), self-assessment of good health status (OR = 3.209; p < 0.001), and healthcare financed through health insurance (OR = 2.344; p < 0.001). Contrarily, receiving healthcare in a public facility (OR = 0.358; p < 0.001) was negatively associated with the evaluation of good quality. Conclusions: The findings showed that patients' perception of quality of care presents significant associations with patients' health characteristics, healthcare funding source, and implementation of the PMAQ-AB. Furthermore, patients generally perceived lower healthcare quality in public facilities. The study indicates the need for evidence-based decision-making in public policies of health, particularly regarding further advances in payment for performance programs designed to foster improvements in quality of care within public PHC facilities in Brazil.