Physical therapist insertion in the Family Health Strategy team: the users’ view

Abstract

Introduction The Family Health Strategy program (FHS) was created with the aim to strengthen primary care through multidisciplinary practices, focused of health care to the family and community. In this sense, the incorporation of other professionals, other than provided in the minimum composition, such as the physical therapist, may contribute to enhance the comprehensiveness of health care.Objective To know how the user perceives the need of a physical therapist in the FHS.Methodology This is a qualitative research of 60 users of a Family Health Center in a city in western Santa Catarina. Data collection was performed at users’ homes by means of an interview. It contained questions about users’ knowledge on physiotherapy and the need to include this professional in the FHS team. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis.Results Regarding the users’ knowledge about the physical therapist, we could observe that users perceive this professional as the one who works in rehabilitation. As for the need for the physical therapists insertion in the FHS staff, users highlighted that it is important to facilitate access to physical therapy services and to expand the comprehensiveness of health care to the user.Final considerations It is clear that users recognize the role of physiotherapy in primary care, realizing the need for its inclusion in the FHS. This fact emphasizes that it is necessary to (re)consider the training process of this professional, approaching theory and practice of the FHS guidelines and the principles of the Unified Health System.

A fisioterapia na atenção primária à saúde: uma revisão integrativa

“…Dentre as citadas estão o número insuficiente de profissionais, a falta de recursos e infraestrutura, a dificuldade de trabalho em equipe, o desconhecimento da atividade do fisioterapeuta por parte dos demais profissionais de saúde e a necessidade de mudança na formação do profissional (5,(10)(11)(12)(13)(14) . Apesar da crescente expansão, na atenção primária, da assistência prestada pela fisioterapia ainda persiste na formação a ênfase a práticas curativas e reabilitadoras bem como o estigma reabilitador entendido por outros profissionais da saúde (12,17) . Também por não estar oficialmente incluída na ESF a fisioterapia não dispõe de infraestrutura adequada na unidade básica de saúde (10) .…”

Assistance provided by physical therapists from primary health care to patients after stroke

“…This concretized the insertion of physical therapists in BC as members of the NASF team (19). Primary care users identify physical therapists as an important member of the rehabilitation team, as they facilitate their access to physical therapy services and the expansion of holistic healthcare (20).…”

Fisioterapia E Saúde Da Família: Inserção, Processo De Trabalho E Conflitos

“…Há redução, também, das queixas álgicas, retardando o processo de degeneração funcional das pessoas que compõem uma dada população (32). Também, o usuário do sistema já começa a identificar a importância da atuação fisioterapêutica, mesmo ainda reconhecendo essa dentro do paradigma da reabilitação (33).…”