Evaluation of the Quality of Care at the Campo Verde Health Center, San Salvador de Jujuy

Abstract

San Salvador de Jujuy faces a dynamic social and health reality, shaped by multiple variables, which requires multidisciplinary teams capable of solving and contributing new solutions to unusual problems related to disorganized urban development, population impoverishment, and diversity in demand.

An evaluation of quality of care is needed because current instruments are insufficient to measure the quality of care and its capacity to satisfy the needs of the population. The general objective of this study was to investigate, from an evaluative perspective, the most relevant components of quality of care at the Campo Verde Health Center, in the province of Jujuy, during 2001.

The specific objectives were: a) to inquire into the availability of resources and the organizational level of the Center; b) to analyze the conditions presented by the structure of the Health Center; c) to identify the maternal and child care processes followed at the Center; and d) to determine the degree of user satisfaction in relation to the use of the Health Center’s services.

Methodologically, the research is descriptive, observational, and retrospective, with a multidimensional qualitative/quantitative approach. It consists of the combination of complementary instruments for the characterization of health centers and for the evaluation of structure, care processes, and outcomes.

The results show that the structure rating is fair: four items are rated good, four fair, and two poor. The process evaluation yields 74.7%, also with a fair rating. The evaluation of outcomes reveals a non-linear association among aspects of organization, accessibility, care processes, participation, and satisfaction with the service received.

The study concludes that the quality of care at the Center requires strengthening, political decision-making, technical support, and strategies for community integration.