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.