THE EFFECT OF RECEPTION PRACTICES ON USER ADHERENCE TO PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES (PHC)

Abstract

Primary Health Care (PHC) is the main gateway to Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS) and is guided by the principles of comprehensiveness, territorial proximity, and the building of lasting bonds between users and professionals. In this context, reception practices stand out as essential to ensure qualified access, active listening, and humanized care, as advocated by the National Humanization Policy (PNH). This study discusses how reception practices directly impact user adherence to PHC services. Findings show that strategies based on qualified listening, empathy, and flexibility in care foster stronger bonds, greater trust in services, and continuity of care, resulting in higher adherence to therapeutic regimens. Reception functions not only as the initial point of contact but also as a structuring axis of the care process, capable of transforming the user’s experience in health services. However, challenges persist—such as staff turnover, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of ongoing training in humanized practices. The recent inclusion of humanization as a legal principle of the SUS reinforces the obligation to adopt reception as an ethical, structuring practice in PHC. Consequently, there is a pressing need for integrated public policies that ensure improved working conditions, continuous training, and reorganization of care processes, guaranteeing reception as an effective and transformative practice in everyday primary care.