Tuberculosis diagnosis: primary health care or emergency medical services?

OBJECTIVE: To assess primary health care and emergency medical services performance for tuberculosis diagnosis. METHODS: Cross-sectional study were conducted with 90 health professionals from primary health care and 68 from emergency medical services, in Ribeirao Preto, SP, Southeastern Brazil, in 2009. A structured questionnaire based on an instrument of tuberculosis care assessment was used. The association between health service and the variables of structure and process for tuberculosis diagnosis was assessed by Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test (both with 5% of statistical significance) and multiple correspondence analysis. RESULTS: Primary health care was associated with the adequate provision of inputs and human resources, as well as with the sputum test request. Emergencial medical services were associated with the availability of X-ray equipment, work overload, human resources turnover, insufficient availability of health professionals, unavailability of sputum collection pots and do not request sputum test. In both services, tuberculosis diagnosis remained as a physician's responsibility. CONCLUSIONS: Emergencial medical services presented weaknesses in its structure to identify tuberculosis suspects. Gaps on the process were identified in both primary health care and emergencial medical services. This situation highlights the need for qualification of health services that are the main gateway to health system to meet sector reforms that prioritize the timely diagnosis of tuberculosis and its control.