Abstract
ABSTRACT Objective: to investigate the evolution and estimate the shortage of Speech, Language and Hearing professionals in Primary Health Care between 2005 and 2015. Methods: a mixed ecological study using data from the National Registry of Health Facilities and the Primary Health Care Information System. A descriptive analysis regarding the evolution of the number of professionals working in Primary Health Care over this period, in Brazilian states and regions, was conducted. The ratio of professionals per 100,000 inhabitants for the years 2005, 2010 and 2015, and the shortages in 2015, were estimated. Results: in 2005, there were 1,717 professionals working in Primary Health Care, that is, one per 100,000 inhabitants. In 2015, there were 4,124, increasing to 2.1/100,000. In 2015, the shortage in supply was 55.1%, varying widely across the states. Conclusion: the shortage in supply is equivalent to an absence of Speech, Language and Hearing service coverage within Primary Health Care for more than half of the Brazilian population. It is worth noting that a conservative parameter was adopted to conduct this estimate. The results suggest a process of consolidation for the inclusion of Speech, Language and Hearing professionals within Primary Health Care, however, still characterized by insufficient and unequal supply across the nation.
Highlights
The establishment of the Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde: SUS) in 1988 promoted reflection about and changes to the work performed by a range of professionals
Number of Speech, Language and Hearing professionals in Primary Health Care In Brazil, in 2005, there were 1,717 SLH professionals registered on the CNES in Primary Health Care establishments, with a rise to 4,124 in 2015 and an estimated relative percentage variation (RPV) of 140.2%
In 2005, there were no records of SLH professionals in Primary Health Care in either Sergipe or the Federal District, while there was only one recorded in Amazonas and one in Maranhão
Summary
The establishment of the Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde: SUS) in 1988 promoted reflection about and changes to the work performed by a range of professionals. In Brazil, the work of SLH professionals in health centres began in the 1970s2. The first public examinations to contract SLH professionals for primary health care only took place in 1989, following the creation of SUS3. During this period, a lack of knowledge about the new health system and the new possibilities for professional operations beyond clinical intervention hindered their inclusion in Primary Health Care activities, resulting in a certain isolation from other professionals[3,4]. At the time of a growth in professional inclusion in Primary Health Care, the necessary review of graduate course curriculums in Brazil received a boost in 2002, in the form of the new National Curricular Guidelines[5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
