Educommunication as a strategy to face Syphilis: an analysis of the open educational resources available at AVASUS

Abstract

Introduction: Syphilis is a problem for the Brazilian Public Health. Therefore, the Brazilian Ministry of Health has been promoting actions to fight this disease; among them, the “No Syphilis Project” stands out, and develops open educational resources (OER), among several activities. Objective: To analyze the open educational resources available in the SUS (the Brazilian Unified Health System) Virtual Learning Environment, focused on syphilis. Methods: This qualitative study, based on epistemology in the field of phenomenology, is a content analysis operated with the meanings constructed to parts of a set of texts and the objects of its analysis were the teaching plans of 19 educational resources available at AVASUS, which dealt with the theme “Syphilis”. The analysis was organized into two unitss: The main purpose of the educational resource and Thematic focus of the educational resource. Results: The overlapping of clinical aspects of the disease to the detriment of socio-environmental aspects and the prevalence of informational objectives can be observed, with the exception of one resource that presented an objective that sought a more active action by the course participant. In the analysis unit 1 it was possible to identify the prevalence of objectives such as 'presenting' or 'conveying' content/information related to the disease. In the analysis unit 2 it was possible to identify the “classic” biomedical cycle of approaching a disease, focusing on diagnosis. Conclusion: The study contributed to the identification of gaps from the thematic and methodological point of view that can guide the planning for the construction of new educational resources.

The relevancy of massive health education in the Brazilian prison system: The course “health care for people deprived of freedom” and its impacts

“…In the health education dimension, an educational pathway with more than 50 courses on syphilis and other STI was designed, produced, and offered through AVASUS. Of note, the course ASPPL is the only course in this educational pathway that aims to qualify health professionals on this topic ( 26 ).…”

“…Recognizing the necessity of qualifying health professionals to address the problem of health in the prison system–especially as imprisoned persons are among the key populations for syphilis infection in Brazil—, the ASPPL course was developed and has been offered in the learning pathway “Syphilis and Other STI” ( 26 ). The goal was to enhance the response to syphilis infection in the Brazilian prison system through a massive health education process.…”

Virtual Learning Environment of the Brazilian Health System (AVASUS): Efficiency of Results, Impacts, and Contributions

“…By analyzing the context of educational interventions in the Brazilian Health System (SUS), it was possible to verify the effectiveness in inducing the health system's responses in public health crises. For example, in COVID-19, AVASUS acted as an important tool for inducing resilience, as well as in the syphilis epidemic ( 16 ), where Brazil, after starting the process of massive training at AVASUS ( 15 ), began to register in the same period an increase in testing and the consequent reduction in cases of congenital syphilis ( 20 – 23 ).…”

“…The platform is integrated into an educational ecosystem of the various MoH platforms, such as the Evidence-Based Health Portal (EBHP), Health Practices Community, and Telehealth Program. As part of the efforts of the MoH, AVASUS's mission is to promote accessible and integrated health knowledge, playing a pivotal role in continuing education ( 15 ).…”

“…Among these actions, the Education dimension stood out. Through AVASUS, a learning pathway with 49 courses was made available, which now has 146,373 participants ( 15 ).…”