O absenteísmo de usuários do SUS: uma revisão integrativa

Abstract

Introduction: The act of SUS users not attending scheduled appointments and/or procedures without any prior communication is characterized as absenteeism. This issue is not unique to a municipality or the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), but it is a global problem that directly interferes with the quality of health care provided. Studies show that the absenteeism rate for procedures and appointments in SUS has varied between 22% and 30%. Objective: This research was conducted with the aim of identifying articles published between 2018 and 2023 that address the absenteeism of users of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). Method: This is a qualitative descriptive study through an integrative review of the scientific literature. An integrative review is a research method that synthesizes results from previous studies on a specific topic, encompassing both theoretical and empirical research. Results: The search resulted in 64 studies across all databases according to the descriptors used. Of the total, 16 were selected. After excluding duplicates through title and abstract reading and applying inclusion criteria, 6 articles were selected to compose the study. Discussion: The main causes found in the studies were: delays in scheduling appointments, communication failures between the service and the user, scheduling during working hours, and symptom improvement. Conclusions: It was noted that there were two main reasons for absenteeism: (1) the inflexibility of appointment hours, which negatively impacts those who work during regular business hours and cannot attend appointments that coincide with their working hours; (2) lack of awareness among the population, who do not fully understand the problems that absenteeism can cause to their own health and to the lives of other patients who depend on the health system for the treatment of chronic diseases. The "faltômetro," which was implemented in one of the reviewed studies, was an effective intervention method that suited the specific problems.