RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The hospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) has been used to assess the effectiveness of primary health care (PHC). Due to the existence of different models of organization of PHC in Brazil, it is important to develop indicators and tools for their assessment. OBJECTIVE: Assessment PHC from the perspective of patients hospitalized for ACSC. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out. The patients were interviewed for assessment of PHC quality using the primary care assessment tool and a questionnaire. Descriptive analyses were performed and the Primary Health Care Index (PHCI) was calculated according to the health service modality, either the traditional primary health care (TPHC) or the Family Health Program (FHP). The PHCI of the two health care models were compared. RESULTS: A total of 314 ACSC patients were interviewed 26.4% from the FHP and 73.6% from the TPHC. In general, the PHCI dimension with the lowest score was health service access. There was no significant difference in the general PHCI for the two modalities of services (P = 0.16); however, comprehensiveness was better assessed in the TPHC, while longitudinality, family focus and community orientation were better evaluated by FHP users (P ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION: The FHP was found to be better qualified to establish longitudinality in the community, an important dimension for continued care. However, promoting access to and consolidating a proactive care model focussed on family shows to be a great challenge for the implementation of a quality and resolutive PHC in large urban centres.