BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS FOR THE REGULAR FOLLOW-UP OF INDIVIDUALS WITH HYPERTENSION IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
Quality of Health Care, Primary Health Care, Continuous Quality Management, Hypertension
Introduction: Systemic Arterial Hypertension (SAH) is a disease with high prevalence, and the regular monitoring of individuals with SAH has posed a significant challenge for Brazilian Primary Health Care (PHC). Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze the barriers and facilitators for conducting regular consultations and blood pressure measurements in PHC, to guide the improvement of implementing this essential process for SAH care. Method: The methodological design was descriptive with a qualitative approach from September 2022 to May 2023. Content analysis was used to analyze the discourse emerging from six focus groups (29 professionals) from five Basic Health Units (UBS) in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. Results: The main barriers were high demand at UBSs, difficulty in using E-SUS (Unified Health System electronic platform), lack of specific training, and users with low literacy levels. The main proposed facilitators include: creating waiting rooms, implementing cardiovascular risk stratification, establishing a schedule of training sessions, and improving E-SUS reports. Final Considerations: The identified barriers and facilitators in this study provide guidance for planning improvements based on a systemic view of the root causes of the problem and multifaceted interventions to enhance SAH care.