Resumen

LOPEZ PUIG, Pedro et al. Integration level of the Cuban Health National System. Rev Cubana Med Gen Integr [online]. 2011, vol.27, n.4, pp. 421-434. ISSN 0864-2125.

Introduction: In the Cuban Health System, the public and individual health care integrated under the principles of universality, gratuitousness, accessibility, responsibility and completeness of the care offered to subjects, families and communities. Objective:To identify the integration level of Cuban Health System in different levels of complexity in the management and services provision. Methods: Authors took into account the attributes proposed by Pan American Health Organization in 2008 to create integrated networks of health services. An ordinal qualitative scale was applied, proposed by Pan American Health Organization. A kit consisting of 58 analysis units was applied, from these 15 in the group I, including experts; 13 in the group II (municipal level managers) and 30 in the group III (provincial level managers) . An ad hoc assessment system was designed by indexes to analyze the results. Results: There was predominance of attributes considered as integrated or partially integrated. Integration attributes with more weakness were those related to integration of financing budgetary to the needs of sector and the integration of formative processes of human resource in quantity and quality enough for current needs, as well as its involvement with its service provision. The integration indexes by attribute and of global type were similar for each group signaling a trend of Cuban Health System to integration. Conclusions:The Cuban Healthcare System trend to integration. There are signs of improvement in all the attributes for the integration.

Palabras clave : Integration level; Cuban Health System; health services networks.