The current constellation of the different primary health care delivery models in Portugal is the
result of the 2006 reform. The reform enabled the transformation of the provider’s organizations
and introduced important mechanisms to promote the quality of the services. The results of the
organizational restructuring in the quality of health care provided have not yet been assessed
countrywide.
Based on efficiency, one of the six health quality measures indicated by the World Health
Organization (with efficiency, safety, accessibility, fairness and acceptability), this paper is an
empirical analysis of the capacity of three types of caregivers to achieve the best possible outcome
by applying current medical knowledge and resources.
This work is part of the international doctoral program Improving Quality of Care in Europe (IQCE),
to which the NHS as one of the non-academic partners. It is the results of an internship held at the
Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS).

Preliminary results of this study will be presented in October at the 16th National Conference on
Health Economics, organized by the Portuguese Association of Health Economics (APES).