Analytic flowchart use in health work processes studies: a critic review

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Health work processes analysis in Brazil are developed under several approaches, including technical but also creative and innovating proposals, which aim to rearticulate practices and knowledge under new foundations. In a perspective of consolidation of a democratic and public health care system, is important to focus on the contradictions that are present in work processes and relationships, in a productive context that affect deeply the way health care is carried on. This article presents a critical discussion on the use of a health care assessment tool called analytic flowchart, based on a bibliographic review of some studies that used it as a main or complementary method. Based on the concepts of health work process and the review findings, flowcharts principles and uses are discussed, and some limits, contributions and potentialities are detached, as a possibility to qualificate collective work assessment processes in Unified Health Care System- SUS.

Keywords –

Process Assessment (Health Care); SUS/organization and administration; Health Planning.