Evaluation of user satisfaction from the Carta SUS, in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze user satisfaction and the characterization of the hospital and outpatient services of the Unified Health System (SUS). A cross-sectional analytical study was performed using data from users who answered the SUS Charter instrument between 2012 and 2013, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. The database was constructed in order to allow for descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. Of the 17,333 users who responded to the SUS Charter in the period studied, 62.3% were women, 62.4% were over 40 years of age, 56.8% were in the state, 70.3% in public services, Most of the procedures (68.7%) were characterized as medium complexity and performed in the hospital setting (73.3%). There was no difference in the evaluation of services when compared to men and women; people over 60 tend to better evaluate health services; in all aspects the high complexity and services of the capital had better results (p≤0.001), the private units had better evaluations than the public ones. The users were satisfied with the services, however, peculiar aspects collaborate to change the level of satisfaction and reveal deficiencies in issues essential to the implementation of SUS.