[Primary Health Care, adequacy of quotas and Family Care Units. A flexible model according to complexity and sociodemographic characteristics].

OBJECTIVE

COVID-19 has evidenced the importance of a Primary and Community Care (PCC), able to respond in the front line with capacity and adaptation to health and social crises. In order to reinforce its role, the Strategic Framework for Primary and Community Care was created in 2019, and one of its lines of action is to consolidate a budgetary and human resources policy. This translates into the Primary Care Action Plan 2022 and 2023, which includes the adequacy of HHRR based on the morbidity attended, health outcomes and sociodemographic characteristics. For this purpose, the development of the model for its calculation is urged. The objective of this paper was to offer a model as a guideline for the adequacy of the needs of Family Care Units (FAU).

METHODS

The study was carried out in the Tenerife Health Area, which has 41 ZBS with 97 health care centers. The variables weighted in the model were: percentage of people over 65 years of age; utilization index; complexity by GMA (Adjusted Morbidity Groups) and frequentation. An Adequate Quota Index was calculated to establish the quota for each health care center between 1,200 and 1,600 per UAF and projection to 2025.

RESULTS

The total need for UAF increase was 62, compared to 57 with the capita criterion of 1,500, at the extremes of the model range there were 12 centers of 1,200 and 11 of 1,600.

CONCLUSIONS

In a very heterogeneous Health Area, the model achieves a more equitable allocation without increasing in practice the need for FAUs compared to the capitated criterion.