The Therapeutic Journey of People With Venous Ulcers in Outpatient Care

Abstract

This study's objective was to describe the therapeutic journey of people with venous ulcers receiving outpatient care. This qualitative study was conducted from January to February of 2013 using semi-structured interviews with 14 people with venous ulcers cared for by an outpatient clinic at a public hospital in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The following categories emerged from the content analysis: search within the Popular Sector; search within the Folk Sector; and search within the Professional Sector. Based on how the individuals identified the origin of the venous ulcer and were influenced by their sociocultural contexts, people implemented different care practices and had to frequently review their journey in the search for healing. The conclusion is that the therapeutic journey was composed of various paths in which the Popular and Professional Sectors strongly influenced the experience of people with venous ulcers.

Application of Merleau-Pontyan perspective on the physical and psychological implications of venous ulcers

“…Merleau-Ponty reveals to us that corporality pervades the lived world and the perceived world, with bodily perceptions being the subject's "own world" (18) , that is, the experience of the person who experiences existence with chronic venous ulcers is what allows its recognition and perception of the injury, and this perception can be revealed by the feeling of the inherent implications of living with the disease. These findings corroborate a study (19) that points out that health, disease and care are linked to a cultural system that involves the inherent experiences of the subject in front of the disease, the behavioral models adopted in face of this experience, treatment and therapeutic practices of evaluation of the results of the proposed conducts.…”

Experiência de pessoas adultas e idosas frente à adesão aos cuidados com a úlcera varicosa

“…One study that described the therapeutic process of patients with VU in outpatient care in Brazil highlighted that the search for professional care is not always decisive and shows tensions resulting from the organization of a care network that does not favor appropriate and fair care provision in the public healthcare subsystem. It pointed out the existence of individuals, often solitary, in search for care that is their right by the constitution, as citizens facing a healthcare system that should ensure them comprehensive care, but that still presents major weaknesses (17) .…”