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Abstract Background Dental Vulnerability Scale (EVO-BR) is an instrument developed to help identifying oral health-vulnerable individuals. This scale comprises 15 items distributed into 4 dimensions. It is the first instrument with the potential to guide clinical and managerial decisions in the oral health field. The aim is to validate a score to enable using EVO-BR in Primary Health Care (PHC). Method The investigated sample included PHC users in five Brazilian regions. Data were collected at two different stages: in 2019 (São Paulo) and in 2022 (Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Roraima, Pernambuco e Paraná). Exploratory descriptive study of this scale scores was carried out to create classification ranges. Subsequently, discriminant analysis was performed to assess the accuracy of the established classification. Boosting regression was carried out to check items’ weight for the instrument score. Results EVO-BR score ranged from 0 (highest vulnerability) to 15 (lowest vulnerability). Four (4) classification configurations were tested. Score equal to 12 points was the one presenting the best classification of the assessed individuals (100% were correctly classified). Boosting regression has evidenced that items 1 and 2 (Overall health domain) and 14 and 15 (Health Services domain) had the strongest influence on this instrument’s score. Conclusion The process to standardize the EVO-BR score and, consequently, to develop assessment ranges, is an important step in the fight against health inequalities, since it provides a tool to help planning actions and interventions aimed at meeting specific needs of the population in the Primary Health Care context.

Abstract Background Efficient planning of the oral health workforce in Primary Health Care (PHC) is paramount to ensure equitable community access to services. This requires a meticulous examination of the population’s needs, strategic distribution of oral health professionals, and effective human resource management. In this context, the average time spent on care to meet the needs of users/families/communities is the central variable in healthcare professional workforce planning methods. However, many time measures are solely based on professional judgment or experience. Objective Calculate the average time parameters for the activities carried out by the oral health team in primary health care. Method This is a descriptive observational study using the time-motion method carried out in five Primary Health Care Units in the city of São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Direct and continuous observation of oral health team members occurred for 40 h spread over five days of a typical work week. Results A total of 696.05 h of observation were conducted with 12 Dentists, three Oral Health Assistants, and five Oral Health Technicians. The Dentists’ main activity was consultation with an average duration of 24.39 min, which took up 42.36% of their working time, followed by documentation with 12.15%. Oral Health Assistants spent 31.57% of their time on infection control, while Oral Health Technicians spent 22.37% on documentation. Conclusion The study establishes time standards for the activities performed by the dental care team and provides support for the application of workforce planning methods that allow for review and optimization of the work process and public policies.

Resumo Objetivo Identificar, na perspectiva dos stakeholders, os problemas enfrentados no contexto da Planificação da Atenção à Saúde (PAS) a fim de estabelecer prioridades para o desenvolvimento de pesquisa de implementação. Métodos Estudo de abordagem qualitativa, realizado a partir de workshops ancorados na técnica de grupo nominal. Buscou-se, no mapeamento dos stakeholders, contemplar um conjunto de atores estratégicos que representassem a diversidade de atuação no contexto da PAS, que foram organizados em três grupos (A, B e C). Foram conduzidos nove workshops, estruturados em cinco etapas que, ao final, oportunizavam o consenso dos participantes sobre os problemas prioritários e a identificação de perguntas de pesquisa. O processo de análise dos dados percorreu três fases, a saber: análise de conteúdo, hierarquização dos problemas prioritários por grupo de stakeholders e enquadramento das perguntas de pesquisa de acordo com os objetivos das abordagens teóricas da ciência da implementação (CI). Resultados participaram do estudo 84 profissionais, distribuídos entre os grupos A (n=13), B (n=14) e C (n=57). Ao todo, foram identificados 13 temas que contemplavam diferentes desafios no cenário da PAS. No processo de hierarquização, os temas “Compreender determinantes e resultados da implementação da PAS” (Grupo A), “Geração de evidências sobre a PAS” (Grupo B) e “Acesso aos cuidados e serviço de saúde” (Grupo C) se destacaram pelo número de votos e ordem de importância, sendo identificados como prioritários. Ressalta-se que as perguntas levantadas pelos grupos, relacionadas com os temas prioritários, perpassaram as diferentes abordagens teóricas da CI. Conclusão Identificou-se variados temas e perguntas de pesquisa de implementação, sendo prioritários aspectos relacionadas a implementação e geração de evidências sobre a PAS e acesso aos serviços de saúde. O exercício de definição de prioridades, evidenciou interesses particulares que estavam alinhados às necessidades percebidas pelos stakeholders, de acordo com seu envolvimento e atuação na PAS.

ABSTRACT Objective: This study aimed to assess the consistency of data regarding the provision of fluoridation in Brazilian municipalities with water supply systems. Methods: Official data from the National Basic Sanitation Survey and the National Information System on Sanitation for 2017 were compared. Results: Out of 5,570 municipalities in Brazil, 4,546 (81.6%) had water supply systems. The agreement between data sources was 84%, with a Kappa of 0.668, indicating substantial agreement. However, the estimates of fluoridation provision exhibited an average discrepancy of 8.1 percentage points, ranging from 1.2 points in the Central-West region to 21.4 points in the Northeast region. Conclusion: To address these inconsistencies, it is essential to enhance information sources, ensuring more reliable data for health, sanitation authorities, and society at large.

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Describe the implementation of a digital diagnostic and territorial monitoring tool in primary healthcare. METHODS Quantitative and qualitative study, developed in 14 basic healthcare units in São Paulo, with community health workers, coordinators, nurses, and physicians. Data collection occurred in four phases: analysis of the instruments used by the team for territory management; development of the digital tool; training and implementation; and evaluation after 90 days using focus groups. Descriptive analyses were conducted by calculating absolute and relative frequencies to treat quantitative data. Qualitative data were subjected to content analysis. RESULTS Three hundred thirty-four professionals participated in the study. In the first step, territory management’s main challenges were filling out various instruments, system failures, data inconsistency, internet infrastructure/network, and lack of time. Therefore, a digital tool was developed consisting of 1) a spreadsheet recording the number of family members and markers of health conditions, date of visit, and number of return visits; 2) a spreadsheet with a summary of families visited, not visited, and refusals; and 3) a panel with a summary of the data generated instantly. In the evaluation, after the initial use of the tool, the themes that emerged were integration of the tool into daily work, evaluation of the digital tool implementation process, and improvement and opportunities for improvement. CONCLUSIONS Faced with the challenges faced by family healthcare teams when filling out systems and managing the territory, the tool developed provided greater reliability and agility in data visualization, reduced the volume of instruments, and optimized the work process.

Abstract Background Providing accessible and high-quality patient-centered healthcare remains a challenge in many countries, despite global efforts to strengthen primary health care (PHC). Research and knowledge management are integral to enhancing PHC, facilitating the implementation of successful strategies, and promoting the use of evidence-based practices. Practice-based research in primary care (PC-PBR) has emerged as a valuable approach, with its external validity to diverse PHC settings, making it an effective means of translating research findings into professional practice. Objective To identify challenges and strategies for conducting practice-based research in primary health care services. Method An integrative literature review was conducted by searching the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Lilacs databases. The research question, guided by the PICo framework, directed the execution of study selection and data extraction. Data analysis followed the RAdAR method's three phases: pre-analysis, data analysis, and interpretation of results. Results Out of 440 initially identified articles, 26 met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were conducted in high-income countries, primarily the United States. The challenges and strategies for PC-PBR were categorized into six themes: research planning, infrastructure, engagement of healthcare professionals, knowledge translation, the relationship between universities and health services, and international collaboration. Notable challenges included research planning complexities, lack of infrastructure, difficulties in engaging healthcare professionals, and barriers to knowledge translation. Strategies underscore the importance of adapting research agendas to local contexts, providing research training, fostering stakeholder engagement, and establishing practice-based research networks. Conclusion The challenges encountered in PC-PBR are consistent across various contexts, highlighting the need for systematic, long-term actions involving health managers, decision-makers, academics, diverse healthcare professionals, and patients. This approach is essential to transform primary care, especially in low- and middle-income countries, into an innovative, comprehensive, patient-centered, and accessible healthcare system. By addressing these challenges and implementing the strategies, PC-PBR can play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between research and practice, ultimately improving patient care and population health.

Introdução: O acesso à água segura é um desafio importante em saúde global e um direito humano fundamental. A qualidade da água consumida pela população é garantida por meio da verificação contínua e do controle de substâncias, como o fluoreto. Embora tenha havido uma melhora nas práticas de ajuste da concentração de fluoreto na água, ainda são identificadas situações de desconformidade em diferentes territórios e países. Objetivo: Verificar se a concentração de fluoreto nos sistemas de abastecimento de água dos municípios brasileiros estava de acordo com o padrão esperado para prevenir a cárie dentária, levando em consideração as características demográficas, socioeconômicas e de gestão dos municípios. Método: Realizou-se um estudo ecológico para avaliar a cobertura dos registros de vigilância do fluoreto e sua conformidade com os sistemas de abastecimento de água no Brasil em 2018, com base no intervalo ótimo de concentração recomendada pelo Centro Colaborador do Ministério da Saúde em Vigilância da Saúde Bucal (0,445-0,944 mg F/L). Para isso, foram coletados dados de concentração do fluoreto no Sistema de Informação de Vigilância da Qualidade da Água para Consumo Humano. Resultados: Dos municípios providos por sistemas de abastecimento de água e que mantinham registros atualizados, 38,5% tinham informação válida e 42,2% destes apresentavam 80,0% ou mais dos registros de fluoreto dentro do intervalo esperado para prevenção da cárie dentária. A cobertura da informação e da conformidade foram mais altas nos municípios com 50 mil habitantes ou mais; com IDH alto e muito alto; com índice de Gini < 0,49; com PIB per capita e despesa per capita em vigilância sanitária mais elevadas. Conclusões: A cobertura da informação e da conformidade foi maior nos municípios com os melhores indicadores socioeconômicos e de desempenho da gestão, sugerindo a necessidade do ajuste das estratégias da política de vigilância de qualidade da água visando o controle da cárie dentária em nível populacional.

RESUMO O objetivo foi avaliar a correlação entre indicadores de estrutura – recursos físicos e trabalhadores – e de processo – produção do psicólogo e do psiquiatra – e a magnitude do apoio matricial realizado. Trata-se de um estudo ecológico, descritivo-analítico, baseado em dados secundários do Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde, abrangendo as Coordenadorias Regionais de Saúde de São Paulo, no período de 2014 a 2018. À medida que a produção do psicólogo na atenção básica aumenta, a frequência do matriciamento aumenta. Isso pode ocorrer, pois o psicólogo, como profissional do campo, pode facilitar a articulação entre os serviços. Ao mesmo tempo, conforme a produção do psiquiatra da atenção básica aumenta, a frequência do matriciamento diminui. Uma possibilidade de explicação para tal contradição seria a não superação do modelo médico hegemônico. O município tem uma realidade complexa e heterogênea, diferentemente de todo o Brasil. As coordenadorias possuem grandes e importantes diferenças entre si, o que torna a pesquisa um desafio. No entanto, o matriciamento e as ações compartilhadas entre as unidades são metas importantes para a gestão municipal, o que destaca a necessidade da realização de pesquisas no campo.

This study investigated the demographic, socioeconomic, and municipal health indicators related to the quality of water fluoridation. An ecological study was carried out in Espirito Santo state (ES), based on data from the Drinking Water Quality Surveillance Information, from 2014 to 2017. The non-parametric Mann-Whitney and Spearman tests were applied to compare municipal indicators with the availability of information and the quality of fluoridation, respectively. Fluoridation quality was calculated to define the percentage of fluoride concentration values in each municipality within the range of the optimal level corresponding to the maximum benefit for preventing dental caries and minimum risk for the occurrence of dental fluorosis. The proportion of 80% or more samples were defined as a compliance criterion. In 2014, 62.8% of the municipalities had information available, and 16.7% performed analyses of fluoride concentration. The percentage of available data increased about 30%, in 2017, with 3.8% referring to fluoride. The quality of fluoridation remained high (> 80%) in ES in almost every year, except in 2014. The municipalities with the largest population, the highest GDP per capita, and the lowest coverage of the oral health team exhibited a greater availability of information about fluoride (p

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To present a protocol to criticize data on fluoride monitoring in water with R software programming features, illustrating its application to describe data coverage, and fluoridation quality in 2015. METHODS The study used big data from the Sistema de Informação de Vigilância da Qualidade da Água para Consumo Humano (Information System for Surveillance of Water Quality for Human Consumption) that included all the Brazilian municipalities. Data criticism procedures were performed with the aid of R software. Filters were applied to remove municipalities with less than four months of records (1), and records with null values (2) and outliers (3). Municipalities were classified regarding the presence of valid information and fluoridation quality according to macro-region, federation units, and population size, presenting the roadmap at each step. RESULTS Approximately 134,000 records were reviewed. Of the Brazilian municipalities, 39% had data on the fluoride parameter, and only 33.3% had four months or more of information frequency. After applying filters, 1,810 (32.5%) municipalities had valid information for the fluoride parameter, with substantial variation between the South (83.6%) and North (0.7%) macro-regions. Of these, 726 (40.1%) showed very good fluoridation quality, determined by 80% or more records within the optimal concentration interval for prevention of dental caries, with higher value (54.3%) in municipalities with 50,000 inhabitants or more, and lower (34.2%) in those with less than 10,000 inhabitants. CONCLUSIONS Important differences persist within and between the Brazilian macro-regions regarding both the availability of information on the parameter, and the quality of water fluoridation in public supply systems in Brazil. The protocol for data review and processing with R software programming resources proved to be very useful for the production of information for decision-making based on a standardized method.

RESUMO Os trabalhadores da vigilância da água exercem importante papel na implementação do Programa Nacional de Vigilância da Qualidade da Água para Consumo Humano e detêm informações sugestivas do grau de estruturação e da institucionalidade das práticas no âmbito local das organizações sanitárias. O estudo objetivou descrever as potencialidades e as limitações relativas à vigilância da fluoretação da água em uma região metropolitana brasileira segundo a visão dos trabalhadores. Realizaram-se entrevistas semiestruturadas com profissionais de sete municípios da região metropolitana do estado do Espírito Santo, Brasil, que foram gravadas, transcritas na íntegra e interpretadas segundo a Análise de Conteúdo Temática. Os resultados permitiram a elaboração das categorias: recomendações da legislação e a prática do heterocontrole da concentração do fluoreto; dificuldades e potencialidades do processo de trabalho; disseminação das informações para a sociedade. A maioria dos trabalhadores seguia as recomendações da legislação vigente no período das entrevistas (Portaria MS nº 2.914/2011), porém, notou-se a necessidade de adequações estruturais e organizacionais. O processo de vigilância do fluoreto enfrenta problemas que envolvem a coleta da amostra, as análises e a divulgação dos resultados. É nítida a necessidade de maior priorização e alocação de recursos para ampliação e qualificação da vigilância dessa medida de saúde pública.

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo é analisar a tendência de prematuridade no Brasil, entre 2012 e 2019, segundo características sociodemográficas, do pré-natal e parto. Trata-se de um estudo ecológico de série temporal, em que foram calculadas as proporções de prematuridade segundo as regiões do Brasil, idade materna, escolaridade materna, raça/cor, número de consultas pré-natal e tipo de parto, a partir dos dados do Sistema de Informações sobre Nascidos Vivos (Sinasc). Sequencialmente, foram aplicados modelos de regressão polinomial para análise de tendência temporal. De 2012 a 2019, a proporção de prematuridade no Brasil apresentou tendência decrescente, variando de 10,87% a 9,95%, com a menor proporção em 2015, que foi de 9,77%. As mulheres na faixa etária de 45 anos ou mais e com 4 a 6 consultas de pré-natal apresentaram as maiores proporções de prematuridade para o período (14,88% a 17,92%) e com tendência crescente. Já as mulheres analfabetas e indígenas mostraram tendência decrescente para o período, apesar de terem as maiores proporções de prematuridade (15,75% a 11,74%). Há uma tendência decrescente de prematuridade no Brasil, especialmente em mulheres mais vulneráveis, entretanto, os serviços de saúde precisam melhorar o atendimento das mulheres com idade materna avançada e atrair aquelas com poucas consultas de pré-natal.

This study explored the relationship between water fluoridation quality and development indicators at municipal level. In addition, fluoride concentrations found were classified based on two criteria for interpreting the samples. A cross-sectional ecological exploratory study was carried out including all municipalities of the metropolitan region of Great Vitória, ES, Brazil. From May to October 2016, 648 samples of water were collected covering water treatment plants responsible for more than 80% of the population of each municipality. The fluoride concentration of each sample was determined using ion-specific electrode and the results were classified according to the federal act and the criterion proposed by the Collaborating Center of the Brazilian Ministry of Health for Oral Health Surveillance. The outcome was the rate of values included in the optimal concentration interval and the independent variables were municipal-level indicators related to demographics, economics, sanitation, health conditions and human development characteristics. The Spearman test and Kappa statistic were used in the analysis. The percentage of samples presenting optimal fluoride concentration ranged from 68.1 to 81.4%, considering the two criteria used. The Kappa statistic between the criteria was 0.671 (p-value = 0.001). Human development, average coverage of supervised toothbrushing, and total population showed a strong positive correlation with the quality of fluoridation while infant mortality and tooth-extraction/dental procedures ratio showed a strong negative correlation. The plausibility of observed correlations encourages further investigations of potential causes.