Specificities of the rural context in the access of hypertensive patients to Primary Health Care in the state of Pará

Abstract

The article aims to analyze the access of hypertensive patients to primary health care in the state of Pará, with an emphasis on the specificities of remote rural areas. Methods: This is a mixed methods, quantitative and qualitative study, where the databases of the National Health Survey and the Primary Health Care Survey in remote rural municipalities were used. The National Health Survey database was used to characterize access and care for hypertensive patients in the state of Pará, emphasizing the differences between urban and rural areas, through variables from the chronic diseases module. To analyze the specificities of the remote rural context, interviews were used with hypertensive patients living in rural areas of the state of Pará, who participated in the Primary Health Care in Remote Rural Municipalities research, with a qualitative approach, carried out in 2019. Results: Among the participants, 53.1% had their blood pressure measured in the last 6 months, with a significant difference between urban and rural areas, and with a lower prevalence in rural areas (14.4%). Users in rural areas indicated difficulties in accessing health services due to long distances and transportation, and problems in accessing medicines in the public service were also observed. Conclusions: The presence of geographic, organizational and structural barriers that affect the access of hypertensive patients to health services was evident, prominently in rural areas, from diagnosis to drug treatment, which makes adequate and continuous health care for hypertensive patients difficult.