Collaborative validation of macrodimensions and key indicators for health services performance evaluation in Brazil

Abstract

The creation of the Unified Health System (SUS) in Brazil in 1988 represented advances in the systemic organization and decentralization of the unified management; however, after 30 years the governance of results seems fragile. The New Public Management has demanded efforts to monitor results, control and accountability. This study explores the translation of knowledge from a sample of managers and professionals (stakeholders), for validation of a panel of SUS indicators. The application of perceptual capture and validation instruments yielded results from the three initial phases (n = 108), which consolidated an instrument validated for field validation (n = 112), whose descriptive analysis validated five dimensions and 24 key indicators for management of results in health organizations. Inferential analysis generated a final model that guaranteed reliability and validity of the five dimensions (macrodomains), but only 17 performance indicators (domains) proposed by the decision makers based on their previous knowledge.