Aspects hindering the quality of tuberculosis care records in primary health care

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze managers’ discourses regarding aspects that hinder the quality of records related to tuberculosis care in Primary Health Care. Method: A qualitative study conducted in a municipality in the state of Paraíba, Brazil. Data were collected through 55 individual interviews between June and September 2023. The collected material was systematized using ATLAS-ti® 23 software. The theoretical-methodological framework of Pecheutian Discourse Analysis was used for the corpus analysis. Results: The main aspects hindering the quality of records are related to factors inherent to professionals and services: improper completion of forms, insufficient information in medical records, the large number of reports, and difficulties with the electronic record system. Another set of hindering aspects is associated with users, such as: failure to attend health services, treatment abandonment, and lack of recognition of the disease. Conclusion: It was found that managers recognize the difficulties regarding the quality of records, but do not demonstrate proactivity in addressing them. There is a need for managers to participate in continuing education processes, with the aim of developing and applying specific strategies to improve records related to the care of people with tuberculosis, especially in terms of notification, treatment follow-up, and data completeness.