PRIMARY CARE AS THE GATEWAY TO THE SUS: THE ROLE OF THE GENERAL PRACTITIONER IN THE HUMANIZATION OF CARE

Abstract

Primary Health Care (PHC) serves as the structural foundation of Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS), playing a strategic role as the first level of care and the main entry point to health services. Grounded in the principles of universality, equity, comprehensiveness, and social participation, PHC aims to provide care centered on the real needs of the population, integrating health promotion, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation in a continuous, integrated, and community-based manner. In this context, the general practitioner holds a central position in the delivery of care, working with an expanded clinical approach that values bonding, qualified listening, continuity, and territorial knowledge.

This article aims to critically analyze the role of PHC as a coordinator of care within the SUS, highlighting the importance of the general practitioner in the humanization of health services. The adopted methodology is based on an integrative literature review, complemented by reports of experiences from primary care professionals in various contexts across the country. The results show that the performance of the general practitioner, when aligned with PHC principles and the National Humanization Policy (PNH), significantly contributes to more ethical, person-centered, and resolutive care practices, strengthening the professional-user bond and trust in public health services.

Furthermore, the constant presence of this professional in the territory enhances the resolution of health demands, reduces care fragmentation, increases access, and facilitates coordination between different levels of care. However, structural and organizational challenges persist, such as high staff turnover, excessive workload, infrastructure limitations, and gaps in medical education regarding humanization, which hinder the consolidation of comprehensive and welcoming PHC.

It is concluded that investing in the strengthening of PHC and the valorization of the general practitioner’s role is essential to ensure the effectiveness of SUS principles and to consolidate a health care model committed to human dignity, equity, and social justice. This requires rethinking educational processes, management policies, and care practices to ensure appropriate working conditions and foster strong bonds between health professionals and the communities they serve.