AIDS in adults 50 years of age and over: characteristics, trends and spatial distribution of the risk

OBJECTIVE: to analyze the sociodemographic characteristics, epidemic trend and spatial distribution of the risk of AIDS in adults 50 years of age and over.METHOD: population-based, ecological study, that used secondary data from the Notifiable Disease Information System (Sinan/AIDS) of Paraíba state from the period January 2000 to December 2010.RESULTS: during the study period, 307 cases of AIDS were reported among people 50 years of age or over. There was a predominance of males (205/66, 8%), mixed race, and low education levels. The municipalities with populations above 100 thousand inhabitants reported 58.5% of the cases. There was a progressive increase in cases among women; an increasing trend in the incidence (positive linear correlation); and an advance in the geographical spread of the disease, with expansion to the coastal region and to the interior of the state, reaching municipalities with populations below 30 thousand inhabitants. In some locations the risk of disease was 100 times greater than the relative risk for the state.CONCLUSION: aging, with the feminization and interiorization of the epidemic in adults 50 years of age and over, confirms the need for the induction of affirmative policies targeted toward this age group

Health services performance for TB treatment in Brazil: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Researches to evaluate Primary Health Care performance in TB control in Brazil show that different cities aggregate local specificities in the dynamics of coping with the disease. This study aims to evaluate health services' performance in TB treatment in cities across different Brazilian regions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This cross-sectional study was conducted in five cities that are considered priorities for TB control in Brazil: Itaboraí (ITA), Ribeirão Preto (RP) and São José do Rio Preto (SJRP) in the Southeast; Campina Grande (CG) and Feira de Santana (FS) in the Northeast. Data were collected through interviews with 514 TB patients under treatment in 2007, using the <it>Primary Care Assessment Tool </it>adapted for TB care in Brazil. Indicators were constructed based on the mean response scores (Likert scale) and compared among the study sites.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>"Access to treatment" was evaluated as satisfactory in the Southeast and regular in the Northeast, which displayed poor results on 'home visits' and 'distance between treatment site and patient's house'. "Bond" was assessed as satisfactory in all cities, with a slightly better performance in RP and SJRP. "Range of services" was rated as regular, with better performance of southeastern cities. 'Health education', 'DOT' and 'food vouchers' were less offered in the Northeast. "Coordination" was evaluated as satisfactory in all cities. "Family focus" was evaluated as satisfactory in RP and SJRP, and regular in the others. 'Professional asking patient's family about other health problems' was evaluated as unsatisfactory, except in RP.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Two types of obstacles are faced for health service performance in TB treatment in the cities under analysis, mainly in the Northeast. The first is structural and derives from difficulties to access health services and actions. The second is organizational and derives from the way health technologies and services are distributed and integrated. Incentives to improve care organization and management practices, aimed at the integration of primary, secondary and tertiary services, can contribute towards a better performance of health services in TB treatment.</p

Performance evaluation of primary care services for the treatment of tuberculosis

Objective Evaluating the performance of primary care services for the treatment of tuberculosis according to the assessment referential of health services (structure/process) in Cabedelo, a port city in the state of Paraíba. Method An evaluation quantitative, cross-sectional study, in which were carried out 117 interviews with health professionals using a structured instrument. The analysis was based on the construction of indicators using a standardized value for the reduced variable (z=1). Results The structural indicators showed regular performance for the following variables: professional training, access to record instruments and coordination with other services. The process indicators related to external actions and information about the disease had unsatisfactory performance. The directly observed treatment and the flows of reference/counter-reference had regular performance. Conclusion The focused professional qualification, the fragmentation of practices and the unsystematic home care constitute obstacles for carrying out actions aimed at providing expanded, continuous and resolute care

A gerência da Unidade Básica de Saúde no controle da tuberculose: um campo de desafios

Neste estudo analisamos a gerência das Unidades Básicas de Saúde no controle da Tuberculose em um município do interior de São Paulo. Participaram do estudo 14 gerentes; a coleta dos dados foi realizada por meio de um questionário fechado e uma questão aberta, e também por meio de entrevista com consentimento livre e esclarecido. Para o tratamento dos dados, utilizamos o Programa Statística 8.0 da Statsoft, e para os dados qualitativos, utilizamos a técnica de análise de conteúdo, modalidade temática. Fica explícita uma gerência técnico-burocrática, com debilidades nas dimensões do planejamento e organização das atividades dos serviços de saúde. Assim, os gerentes desta investigação necessitam incorporar aspectos do planejamento e organização como forma de viabilizar a política de controle da TB.En este estudio analizamos el gerenciamiento de las Unidades Básicas de Salud en el control de la Tuberculosis en un municipio del interior de San Pablo, Brasil. Participaron del estudio 14 gerentes. La recolección de datos fue realizada a través de un cuestionario cerrado y una pregunta abierta, más entrevista con consentimiento libre y esclarecido. Para el tratamiento de los datos, utilizamos el programa Statistica 8.0 de la compañía Starsoft; y para los datos cualitativos, se usó la técnica de análisis de contenidos, modalidad temática. Quedó evidenciada una gerencia técnico-burocrática, con debilidad en las dimensiones de planeamiento y organización de las actividades de los servicios de salud. De tal modo, los gerentes que participaron de esta investigación necesitan incorporar aspectos de planeamiento y organización como modo de viabilizar la política de control de la TB.In this study we analyzed the management of Basic Health Units in terms of Tuberculosis (TB) control in a city in the interior of São Paulo state. Fourteen managers participated in the study. A closed questionnaire was administered and an open question was also applied. The interview was carried out after obtaining free and informed consent. Data analysis was performed using the Statsoft software Statística 8.0 and thematic content analysis was used for the qualitative data. It was found there is a clear technical-bureaucratic management, deficient in the activity planning and organization dimensions at the BHU. Hence, health care managers in this study should include management aspects of planning and organization as ways to make TB control feasible

Tuberculosis control: decentralization, local planning and management specificities

The goal was to analyze, according to the perception of health managers, the practices that guide tuberculosis control actions in cities in the metropolitan region of João Pessoa - PB, Brazil. This qualitative study involved eight professionals in management functions. Testimonies were collected through semi-structured interviews between May and June 2009 and organized through content analysis. Despite the acknowledged benefits of tuberculosis control action decentralization, local planning indicates the predominance of a bureaucratic model that is restricted to negotiation and supplies. Local programming is centered on the coordinator, which shows a command line and vertical management that lead to the fragmentation of the work process. Management action should follow an innovative and transformative route that surpasses bureaucratic barriers and faces the biggest challenge it is proposed: to balance professional interrelations with a view to improving health work performance.Se buscó analizar, según la percepción de los gestores de salud, las prácticas que orientan las acciones de control de la tuberculosis en municipios de la región metropolitana de Joao Pesoa, estado de Paraíba. Se trata de un estudio cualitativo que envolvió ocho profesionales que ejercían cargos de gestión. Las declaraciones fueron recolectadas por medio de entrevistas semiestructuradas, entre mayo y julio de 2009, y organizadas mediante análisis de contenido. A pesar de que se reconozcan los beneficios de la descentralización de las acciones de control de la tuberculosis, la planificación local señala la predominancia del modelo burocrático restricto a negociación y suministro de insumos. La programación local se centra en la figura del coordinador, retratando una línea de comando y gestión vertical que induce a la fragmentación del proceso de trabajo. La tarea de administrar debe explorar un camino innovador y transformador, que ultrapase las barreras burocráticas y alcance el mayor desafío que le es impuesto: equilibrar las interrelaciones profesionales con la finalidad de perfeccionar el desempeño del trabajo en salud.Buscou-se analisar, segundo a percepção dos gestores de saúde, as práticas que norteiam as ações de controle da tuberculose, em municípios da região metropolitana de João Pessoa, PB. Trata-se de estudo qualitativo que envolveu oito profissionais que exerciam cargos de gestão. Os depoimentos foram coletados por meio de entrevista semiestruturada, entre maio e julho de 2009, e organizados mediante análise de conteúdo. Embora se reconheça os benefícios da descentralização das ações de controle da tuberculose, o planejamento local sinaliza a predominância de modelo burocrático restrito à negociação e provisão de insumos. A programação local centra-se na figura do coordenador, retratando uma linha de comando e gestão vertical que induzem à fragmentação do processo de trabalho. A tarefa de gerenciar deve trilhar caminho inovador e transformador que ultrapasse as barreiras burocráticas e alcance o maior desafio que lhe é imposto: equilibrar as inter-relações profissionais no intuito de aperfeiçoar o desempenho do trabalho em saúde