Universal and equal access to health care, granted to the population as of the brazilian constitution of 1988, made it easier the early diagnosis of hearing impairment. Thus, through the sistema único de saúde (sus), public and private health care providers granted this health coverage to the whole brazilian population, in the different levels of complexity. AIM: this paper aims at studying the supply of intermediate complexity hearing impairment diagnosis in pernambuco in the first semester of 2003. MATERIALS AND METHODS: a study of series analyzed 17669 procedures and 372 professionals in the field of hearing impairment in the 185 municipalities in the state of pernambuco - brazil - data taken from the outpatient information system of the ministry of health. RESULTS: the results showed that the procedures are being carried out in only five municipalities, most of them managed in municipal units. We also identified an unequal distribution of diagnostic procedures. CONCLUSION: we then concluded that much is still necessary to provide hearing impairment diagnostic in a horizontal fashion, considering the community differences through an universal, integrated and efficient model, as the one proposed by the sistema único de saúde.
hearing impairment; diagnosis; intermediate complexity
