Evaluation of health surveillance in the Zona da Mata Mineira: from standards to practice

Abstract

Health Surveillance is of paramount importance when confronted with the current Brazilian epidemiological setting. This study aims to evaluate the level of Health Surveillance in the Zona da Mata Mineira region. This is an evaluative study, and data were collected in the first half of 2016. The research universe consisted of seven municipalities in the Zona da Mata Mineira complex. Municipalities were selected with reference to available operational epidemiological, environmental and sanitary surveillance. The subjects under analysis were the Surveillance coordinators (n = 21), Health Surveillance coordinators (n = 7) and Health secretaries (n = 7). We conducted interviews using a semi-structured and elaborated questionnaire based on the Donabedian triad: Structure, Process and Outcome. A score system was established in order to obtain the classification of performance, realm and sub-realms, in which a score was assigned for each criterion. We used incipient, intermediate or advanced cutoff points to classify the level of Health Surveillance of scores were below 5.99 points, between 6.0 and 7.99 points and between 8 and 10 points, respectively. The level of regional Health Surveillance performance level was classified as an intermediate.