Improvement of Health Services Through the Increased Use of the National Health Card (BR0069)

to improve the health services provided by the Unique Health System (SUS) by increasing the benefits of the National Health Card, which are inherent to a greater availability of the Card. This commitment shall enable linking procedures performed in the SUS to the public health care users, to the professionals who performed them and to the health units where they were performed. Thus, the implementation of this project shall enhance the guarantee of access to health care and increase the quality and effectiveness of services to citizens, as well as improve the quality of information and its use in the development and management of health policies.

Commitment 3.11. Improvement of health services through the increased use of the National Health Card

Commitment Text: To improve the health services provided by the Unique Health System (SUS) by increasing the benefits of the National Health Card, which are inherent to a greater availability of the Card. This commitment shall enable linking procedures performed in the SUS to the public health care users, to the professionals who performed them and to the health units where they were performed. Thus, the implementation of this project shall enhance the guarantee of access to health care and increase the quality and effectiveness of services to citizens, as well as improve the quality of information and its use in the development and management of health policies.

Responsible institution: Ministry of Health

Supporting institution: None

Start date: Not specified                          End date: 13 December 2013

Commitment Aim

The National Health Card, or SUS Card, links data among citizens, health professionals, and health establishments. The commitment sought to increase the benefits offered by the card so as to increase the quality and effectiveness of health care.

Status

Midterm: Substantial

The commitment was partially completed. While there was no evidence of health service improvements or expansion of the benefits of the SUS Card, there were improvements in the collection and processing of data, such as investments in technology infrastructure for greater connectivity and cleaner databases.

End of term: Substantial

The IRM researcher found no additional progress on this commitment since the midterm evaluation.

Did it open government?

Access to information: Did not change

Civic Participation: Did not change

Public accountability: Did not change

The commitment is not relevant to open government values. Information is released on an individual basis, and is not available to civil society as general data. As a result, the commitment focuses more on e-government public service delivery, than on open government-oriented practices.

Carried forward?

The commitment was not carried forward to Brazil’s third action plan. If carried forward in the future, the IRM researcher recommends improving tools for transparency (e.g., publishing data in open format and online monitoring tools), participation (e.g., developing tools for health councils to use the data), and/or accountability (e.g., associating the data with such programs as the ombudsman system).