Abstract
This study aimed to understand the conception and performance of health education developed by the Family Health Team with a view to clients' participation. Qualitative study carried out with clients and professionals at the Family Health Program (FHP) in Crato, CE, Brazil. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and observation between May and September, 2005. Data were organized according to content analysis and literature. Findings indicate that professionals view health education as guidance and teaching focused on disease prevention and the participation of clients is perceived as listening and attention. Thus, FHP professionals need to broaden their understanding of health education and educative strategies, which should be culturally meaningful, so that clients freely and consciously decide on their participation and behavioral change in health.
Highlights
Education in health and the participation of clients are essential elements for personal and structural changes to occur in health promotion
According to observations carried out with the Family Health Team (FHT) and the participants’ report, these actions are focused on disease prevention; the themes addressed by teams were defined by life cycle or pathologies, while only two of them were about prenatal care and one about oral health
Health education practiced in services is still focused on people affected with illness or those susceptible to have their health condition altered
Summary
Education in health and the participation of clients are essential elements for personal and structural changes to occur in health promotion These statements are present in the Ottawa letter from the first international health conference in 1986. The therapeutic project should incorporate health care actions that transcend the limited clinical conception of curing diseases and value the context, the social determinants, the subjectivity of the health-disease process and the inclusion of clients as active, autonomous and participative individuals. When the term therapeutic project is used as a route to the care plan, it is understood that health promotion is the main objective of health professionals’ practice at all levels of care This understanding requires a multidisciplinary and complex view of a variety of actions and shows that professionals should overcome the traditional and limited view of care focused on the disease. Patients in treatment should be encouraged to adopt temporary or permanent changes, consequence of disease and/or suffering processes(2)
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