THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FAMILY STRATEGY IN REDUCING AVOIDABLE HOSPITALIZATIONS: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

The objective of this study is to evaluate the contribution of the Family Health Strategy (FHS) to the reduction of Hospitalizations for Primary Care Sensitive Conditions (HCPC) in Brazil, seeking to identify the components that influence the effectiveness of hospital discharge. The methodology adopted was an integrative literature review, based on 10 Brazilian scientific articles that apply ecological and temporal trend methods, collected from databases such as SciELO, LILACS, and BDENF. The analysis of the selected studies made it possible to examine the association between the expansion of primary care coverage and the reduction of avoidable hospitalizations, prioritizing care effectiveness and quality indicators, such as the PMAQ-AB. The findings demonstrated that continuous clinical follow-up and longitudinal care are fundamental in the management of chronic diseases and child health, especially with regard to the prevention of acute episodes that overburden the hospital system. Strategies such as improving the infrastructure of healthcare units, promoting health education, and monitoring vulnerable groups, such as the elderly population with cardiovascular conditions, have proven crucial for consolidating public health and optimizing cardiometabolic outcomes for these patients. The research reiterates that, given the socioeconomic and regional disparities that favor recurrent hospitalizations, primary care should be treated as the central axis of the health system. Therefore, the need for clinical protocols that prioritize therapeutic maintenance and qualified management to improve clinical outcomes and the viability of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) is highlighted.