MUNICIPAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT IN RIO DE JANEIRO: PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION OF PRIMARY CARE IN FAMILY CLINICS

Abstract

Primary Health Care constitutes the main point of access for the population to the Brazilian Unified Health System and performs functions related to health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, longitudinal follow-up, and care coordination. In the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, the implementation of Family Clinics represented a strategy for reorganizing the municipal healthcare network, expanding the Family Health Strategy, and strengthening the territorial work of healthcare teams. The general objective was to analyze, based on scientific literature and official documents, the planning and organization of Primary Health Care in the Family Clinics under the responsibility of the municipal government of Rio de Janeiro. This qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory study was conducted through bibliographic and documentary research. The results indicated that the expansion of Family Clinics contributed to increasing healthcare coverage, strengthening the relationship between healthcare teams and users, organizing healthcare territories, and promoting the essential attributes of Primary Health Care. However, limitations related to political and administrative instability, funding, staff turnover, territorial inequalities, and insufficient integration among the different levels of the healthcare network were also identified. It was concluded that decisions related to municipal planning and management may influence the coverage, quality, continuity, and care coordination capacity of the Family Clinics, highlighting the importance of stable policies, adequate funding, professional development, continuous monitoring, and greater social participation.