[Health councils as an instrument of community participation: a qualitative research in La Rioja (Spain)].

OBJECTIVE: To describe the functioning and regulations of health councils in La Rioja (Spain) as vehicles for citizen participation in health management.

METHOD: A qualitative analysis was conducted triangulating the national and regional institutional framework reviews of health councils, the official minutes of 58 meetings, and 11 semi-structured interviews with related persons.

RESULTS: The analysis revealed a predominantly biomedical-technological standpoint, a lack of training in community participation dynamics, and an absence of structure in council operations. The councils were also found to be over-powered by public healthcare administration and restricted to a role of simply transmitting information, thereby neglecting an opportunity for proactive community involvement.

CONCLUSIONS: In spite of these shortcomings, community health councils can operate as efficient instruments in health management as long as the necessary political will and appropriate community awareness both exist.