Family Health Program: effectiveness assessment based on user perception

Abstract

This article presents the results of a study to identify in what extent user percep- tion of the contribution of the Family Health Program (Programa de Saúde da Família, PSF), at the Felipe Camarão Unit, in the West District of Natal (state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil) reflects the evolution of the healthcare indicators for children under five, in the period between 2000 and 2004. Initially data on the implemented health policy was gathered, including a profile of the users involved. Then the available statistics related to the child healthcare measures carried out during that period were obtained from official documents of the federal and municipal Health Department. Finally a social survey questionnaire was applied to a sample of families with children under five registered in the unit, in order to know their level of satisfaction with the provided services. The comparison between user satisfaction and the evolution of the indicators showed that the measures implemented by the program in the unit have transformed attitudes and stimulated social changes.