Search

This paper assumes that the health services' responses to health needs were affected by the regulation of the Brazilian public health system. The study objective is to identify the health-service trends found in scientific publications. Among the 73 publications selected from the LILACS on-line database, 66 (90.4%) did not mention the concept of health needs. Those that did had a reflective stance toward the subject. Health needs as defined in those articles were similar for all individuals, not considering them as members of a social class, a circumstance that defines health-needs characteristics. The results of this study are worrisome because health care delivery has been emphasizing sickness and reinforcing classification practices, rather than enabling emancipating praxis.

In activities leading to the formulation of policies and services, in either research or education, it can be seen that the processes of acquisition and utilization of empirical data are not always anchored in theoretical foundation. At the same time theoretical formulations appears as alienated from experience. On the other hand, a qualitative approach and an increasing adherence of researchers basing their methodology on the Social Representations Theory (SRT) seem to be more present in Health scientific publications. Through the analysis of citations applied to 45 reports of SRT-based empirical work, 69 bibliographical sources of that theory have been identified. This paper presents a list of such sources as a way to favoring the search by students or researchers concerned with the subject. Also, a bibliometrical profile was drawn of various aspects of those sources and of their recurrence within the group under analysis.

Internet is creating new opportunities to improve decision-making and communications in health. Despite its obvious benefits, if no appropriate selection and evaluation of the information, the increase of the information availability could also result in many potentially harmful effects on both consumers and health professionals. Hence, they must choose appropriate resources to guide their decisions. The goal of this study is to identify through a literature review the criteria proposed by the authors to assess the quality of the information on health in web sites. The results show that, in spite of the availability of many different methods for evaluating the quality of the information about health, there are no standard criteria.

Resumen: La Internet está creando nuevas oportunidades para mejorar la comunicación y la toma de decisiones sobre salud. Sin embargo, a pesar de sus obvios beneficios, el aumento de la disponibilidad de información también puede resultar en efectos perjudiciales, tanto para consumidores como para profesionales de la salud, en caso de que no exista una selección y evaluación del material disponible. Por eso, éstos deben escoger recursos apropiados para guiar sus decisiones. El objetivo de este estudio es identificar, por medio de una revisión de la literatura, los criterios propuestos por los autores para evaluar web sites con informaciones sobre salud. Los resultados constatados muestran que, a pesar de existir varios métodos sugeridos para evaluar la calidad de información sobre salud, no existe un estándar de criterios. Abstract: Internet is creating new opportunities to improve decision-making and communications in health. Despite its obvious benefits, if no appropriate selection and evaluation of the information, the increase of the information availability could also result in many potentially harmful effects on both consumers and health professionals. Hence, they must choose appropriate resources to guide their decisions. The goal of this study is to identify through a literature review the criteria proposed by the authors to assess the quality of the information on health in web sites. The results show that, in spite of the availability of many different methods for evaluating the quality of the information about health, there are no standard criteria. Centro de Trabajo: (1) Psicopedagoga con certificación en Educación Virtual a Distancia. (2) Profesora Asociada de la Escuela de Enfermería de Ribeirao Preto (Univ. de San Paulo-Brasil), Centro Colaborador de la OMS para el desarrollo de investigación. Fecha del Trabajo: 15/12/2004 Palabra Clave: Internet, informática médica, salud Key Words: Internet, medical informatics, health

This study had the purpose to evaluate the quality of the health service provided at a Family Health Unit (FHU), with emphasis on user satisfaction, based on soft technologies. Furthermore, this study also aimed to analyze the aspects of health care that generated user satisfaction or dissatisfaction regarding attachment, accountability, providing solutions, expectations, relationship, comfort, and access, and to identify recommendations for local interventions. The authors made a general characterization of the population seen at the studied service, and then selected the subjects. The study used a qualitative approach. Data were collected in semi-structured interviews, and ordered using the Collective Subject Discourse (CSD) method. The analysis reveals the importance that service users assign to the soft technologies, but also shows the need to reduce the waiting time for medical consultations and referrals, and to obtain access to medication and dental care at the same location. These factors generated great dissatisfaction among users.