Ações de melhoria contínua da qualidade em serviços de atenção primária: revisão integrativa

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The evaluation and improvement of service quality are common practices in professional environments, carried out by local professionals or administrators, aiming at efficiency, resource conservation, user well-being, satisfaction, and sustainability. In Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS), some quality improvement processes have been utilized in recent years, notably the Program for Improving Access and Quality (PMAQ) from the Ministry of Health. However, there are still few experiences in the use of quality improvement in primary care in Brazil, with little description in the literature. OBJECTIVE: To review recent literature on the quality improvement of care in primary health services worldwide. METHODOLOGY: This is an integrative review study. The PICO strategy was used, focusing on how quality improvement strategies impact primary health care services. The search for articles was conducted in the Virtual Health Library databases, with a time filter from 2021 to 2024. The results were reported in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines for writing review articles. RESULTS: A total of 8 articles were obtained to compose this review. The results suggest that quality improvement strategies have shown a positive impact on primary health care practices. DISCUSSION: Quality improvement strategies have demonstrated a positive impact on primary health care practices, regarding effective communication and strengthening relationships, as well as increasing the confidence and skills of professionals. CONCLUSION: It was possible to identify the importance of using quality improvement as a strategy in the care provided and its impact on the health of the population.