Comparability of results of in-person and online assessments of primary care facilities in São Paulo state

Abstract

The aim is to compare the results of two external assessments with distinct data collection methods: the AE-PMAQ-AB, from the National Program for Access and Quality Improvement in Primary Care, conducted through in-person interviews using electronic tools, and the QualiAB, a web-based self-response survey. The comparability between these two assessments, which were carried out in the state of São Paulo between 2017 and 2018, was verified through an intentional non-probabilistic sample extracted from the pairing of their databases. A total of 709 facilities that have one family health team were paired from 286 municipalities. The average scores were compared, and linear regression models were adjusted with normal response for overall and domain-specific scores. The comparability between the results was ascertained, although the AE-PMAQ-AB scores were higher than the QualiAB ones. Web-based self-response surveys provide results faster and at a lower cost, being an alternative for evaluating primary care services.