Prevalence of absenteeism in medical appointments in a basic health unit in the south of Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: The absenteeism at scheduled medical appointments is a problem that interferes with the effectiveness of health services. In this context, the reorganization of the professionals schedule is central in ensuring the reception and continuity of care. Objective: To describe the prevalence of absenteeism from the health care agenda of a primary health care service (APS) for undergraduate and postgraduate education in the municipality of Pelotas, state of Rio Grande do Sul. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with all the schedules of one month of medical appointments in each season between July 2016 and April 2017. The data were collected from the local appointment system, typed and analyzed in an Excel^® worksheet. Results: Of the 3,131 scheduled medical appointments, 598 absences were recorded, resulting in a prevalence of absenteeism of 19.2% (95% CI, 17.7-20.8). Of the 153 care shifts in only 2%, there were no absences and, among others, the prevalence ranged from 4.2% to 45%. In the distribution of absenteeism among the seven groups of consultations surveyed, 62.3% of absenteeism was observed for general practitioner and 12.2% for the accomplishment of cytopathological exam of the uterine cervix. Conclusion: The results show a high prevalence of absenteeism, especially in medical clinic visits, which can lead to problems both for continuity of care, especially for general practitioners, and for medical teaching in APS. This finding is superior to that found by Tristão et al. in a Brazilian study on outpatient health services, and lower than the result described by Izecksohn and Ferreira in a School Health Center. The authors suggest the need for organizational changes aiming at increasing access and facilitating adherence to scheduled appointments, in order to guarantee the longitudinality of care.