Evaluation of actions concerning systemic arterial hypertension in primary healthcare.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficiency of the Family Health Strategy in actions related to hypertension. METHODS Evaluative, cross-sectional quantitative research based on secondary data of 66 small municipalities located in the state of Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil, with maximum potential coverage of 100% by the Family Health Strategy in 2007. Input indicators, products and results were evaluated. The municipalities' efficiency of services production and results production was compared through data envelopment analysis. RESULTS The municipalities were more efficient in services production (37.8%) than in results production (16.6%). Forty-one municipalities (62.2%) were inefficient in the services: enrolment in the Hypertension and Diabetes Information System, individual assistance and home visit for hypertensive users, and 55 (83.3%) were inefficient in the production of impact against hypertension. CONCLUSIONS The evaluation model used in this study proved to be capable of measuring efficiency in primary healthcare by evaluating the productivity of services and results.