Perception of pediatric emergency care users at a regional hospital about pediatric services during 2022-2023

Abstract

This study addresses the perception of users regarding healthcare services during the covid-19 pandemic at a secondary hospital in the Federal District, aiming to understand its users in order to ensure the principles of the Unified Health System (SUS). The study sought to understand how the pandemic and the reorganization of the healthcare system impacted the lives of users. The study used a constructive-interpretative methodology to conduct interviews and perform its analyses. The results revealed two main areas of meaning. Participants, due to a lack of care, expressed discomfort, lack of knowledge, and anxiety regarding the health of those they were caring for, highlighting imbalances in biopsychosocial and spiritual aspects, associated with a lack of informative health information, along with a sense of abandonment by the healthcare system. The second area of meaning showed that participants only identified changes in healthcare services when seeking care, revealing a loss of SUS-user contact. The changes were seen as beneficial by some, providing security and care. However, the lack of effective communication led to a lack of guidance. The shortage of medical personnel was also mentioned as a challenge. The study highlights the importance of communication between healthcare services and users to ensure proper access to healthcare. It also emphasizes the complexity of the Unified Health System (SUS) and the need to understand individual and subjective patient experiences to improve the quality of healthcare services and the quality of life of the population.