Construção, validação de conteúdo e semântica de um instrumento de acolhimento e classificação de risco da urgência na demanda espontânea dos serviços de saúde bucal na atenção primária à saúde

Abstract

The aim of this study is to develop and to conduct the content and semantic validation of an instrument to assess the reception and classification of risk of urgency of spontaneous demand in dental services within primary health care according to the Manchester’s Protocol and the recommendations proposed by the Ministry of Health. This is a methodological study where the proposed instrument is composed by items concerning the signs and symptoms reported by healthcare users. The rationale of the theoretical model, content validation, and categorization of the conditions into the scores, according to the Manchester Protocol resulted from focus groups carried out by experts. The semantic validation was conducted through focus groups involving dental hygienists and dental therapists. The instrument as well as the pain scale were completed by 48 healthcare users who sought for emergency dental service. These both instruments showed similar results with regards the differentiation of the health problems into urgent, less urgent and non urgent. The protocol was considered valid for reception and classification of risk in dental services within primary health care. It was also adequate to organize the demand in a humanized and effective way.