Acesso e utilização de serviços de saúde por idosos com doença crônica no Brasil: revisão sistemática da literatura

Abstract

In Brazil, population ageing is occurring fast. With the increase in life expectancy, contagious diseases have given way to chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD), which can lead to high rates of morbimortality and disability, requiring special attention from health services. The knowledge of health care access and utilization by Brazilian elders with NCD is extremely important to evaluate if the care provided is appropriate to that population. A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the health care access and utilization by Brazilian elders with NCD. A literature search was conducted in the electronic databases PubMed, LILACS, Scielo and on Brazilian Digital Library of Thesis and Dissertations (BDLD), from the first record to October 2010. The screening of reference lists from relevant studies and of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) website completed the search strategy. Four studies met the inclusion criteria. Among the studies that assessed the prevalence of NCD, hypertension was the most prevalent, followed by spinal disease. It was found that many factors related to the elderly and to the health care system can influence the access and utilization by this population. Although some nationwide studies present data about the pattern of health access and utilization by the elderly, future studies are still necessary to clarify the adequacy of the health care system to the aged population with NCD and to offer relevant information at municipal and metropolitan levels.