RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND PEOPLE WITH TUBERCULOSIS AND TREATMENT ABANDONMENT

Narda Estela Calsin Chirinos,Universidad Nacional Del Altiplano De Puno, Peru ,Universidade Federal De Santa Catarina, Brazil ,Ufsc, Brazil ,Andréa Barbará Silva Bousfield,Betina Hörner Schlindwein Meirelles

doi:10.1590/0104-07072017005650015

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: to relate the social representations of health professionals and people with tuberculosis with treatment abandonment. Method: a descriptive and exploratory study with qualitative approach. Twelve health professionals and eight patients participated from Health Centers in Lima, Peru. Data were collected, between June and July 2012, through semi-structured interviews, analyzed according to content analysis technique. Results: similar content emerged from the analysis of the categories representations of both actors. They present similar aspects such as the treatment of tuberculosis generates suffering, tuberculosis is contagious and causes distancing and isolation, and the lack of knowledge generates treatment abandonment. These representations interfere with the conduct of care and adherence of tuberculosis treatment. Conclusion: there is need for education strategies in a psychosocial approach, considering the multidimensionality of treatment adherence, contributing to the reduction of treatment abandonment rates and the tuberculosis transmission chain.

Highlights

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be one of the deadliest communicable diseases worldwide.[1]
The side effects of medications lead to the treatment abandonment
The contents of the social representations of health professionals are directly related to the representations of people with tuberculosis, regarding the abandonment of tuberculosis treatment in their life contexts

Summary

Introduction

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be one of the deadliest communicable diseases worldwide.[1]. Abandonment leads to drug resistance and relapse of the disease.[4] Treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is toxic, expensive, time-consuming and generally ineffective.[5] In addition, it is difficult for patients to complete.[6] Treatment is very varied and the risk of abandoning tuberculosis treatment is high at the end of the first month and beginning of the second, which corresponds to the phase in which the patients are asymptomatic, with good physical appearance and good general condition. This leads them to believe that they are free of the disease, and, as a consequence, they stop treatment.[7]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion