Avaliação do cuidado na estratégia saúde da família em metrópoles do nordeste brasileiro

Objective: To evaluate the implementation of the Family Health Strategy (FHS) in Brazilian cities of the Northeast, expanding coverage, analyzing the progress, challenges and innovations. Methods: Multicentric Evaluation Research, Studies Baselines in urban centers, using as a case study method. Selected cases of Aracaju, being capital, advanced coverage with extended team, and Fortaleza, capital coverage incipient and minimal staff. In Fortaleza, purposive sample of 11 Units Primary (APS), 03 managers, 53 professionals and 109 users. In Aracaju, 09 units of APS, 02 managers, 36 professionals, and 90 users. Structured interviews for managers, and structured to professionals and users. Descriptive analysis focusing on the political and institutional dimensions, organization and comprehensive care. Results: There was consensus that the ESF is the preferred port users and acts as inducing changes in care. In the case of Fortaleza, the specificities were: care protocols and community activities aimed at chronic conditions (100%) , with greater participation of doctors and nurses (93%) ; conjunction with more complex services, but the teams reported difficulties with the examination center and experts, the long waits and poor access to local services were the main difficulties reported by users., As innovative practice, the therapeutic group of elderly caregivers mentioned by respondents; There was intersectoral initiatives and teams 87 % of users have participated in meetings about health problems. In the case of Aracaju, care protocols were directed to the lines of care and formulated locally, 85 % coverage of the population with FHS counterpart local financing; employees hired by public tender; 70 % of teams with expertise in public health center for continuing education acting; democratization in management; access technologies, welcoming and computerization in different integrated networks, and evaluation matrix. Conclusions: The ESF has promoted access to health care and inclusion of disadvantaged populations. Different perceptions and practices in the organization of care, with distinct trajectories of reorganization. In the case of Fortaleza, predominance of model programs valuing older, with evidence of advances in care practices and teamwork, but restricted to primary care practices and incipient in public policy perspective. In Aracaju, had network integration with technologies related to the family, in which the ESF is consolidated as public policy. It can be argued that the XII APS expanding coverage, exhibited efficacy, despite the challenges inherent to the different degrees of implementation

Programa nova semente em perspectiva (2009-2012): uma avaliação de processo

Historically the provision of childcare facilities in Brazil was short of demand. This problem affects a large part of the population and has a tendency to worsen, due to the accelerated decline in the number of parents of dedication exclusive family. The program called "Nova Semente" seeks to accelerate the creation of childcare facilities in the county, enabling the opening of units at low cost and in record time, through partnerships between government, non-governmental and civil society organizations. This study conducted a process evaluation of the implementation of public policy, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the policy. In real terms, this paper seeks to understand the motivation for the development of the program, identifying the reasons set out in the project match what is being sent; Understand how it is giving practical partnership between the government entity and the entities "non-state"; Identify the degree of achievement of goals that should be met even in the implementation phase; verify employment of instruments provided for its implementation. For this, the literature of public policy evaluation is used, and fits the criteria and mechanisms for analysis in the assessment of efficacy, to answer the question motivating the work, which deals with uncertainty about the durability of the Program. the framework is the criteria and mechanisms for analysis in the assessment of efficacy, to answer the question motivating the work, which deals with uncertainty about the durability of the Program

A política de humanização e a estratégia saúde da família: visões e vivências

This study approaches the topic of humanization in health that involves the set of policies implemented by the Ministry of Health in Brazil. Its aims are directed towards a reflection on the guiding theoretical and organizing axes of the National Humanization Policy (NHP) and their repercussions on municipal health policy of Natal, Brazil; an analysis of the results of the policy at the local level; knowledge of the views and experiences of the humanization agents in the daily work process and identification of the main challenges of the policy. The empirical field of investigation was the Family Health Strategy (FHS) of the city of Natal. The assumption of the study is that the FHS has produced local experiences with potentialities that must not be wasted, in which there are difficulties and discrepancies between the real and proposed model. The contradictions and challenges in the social and political context of Brazil in the early XXI century and their consequences in the field of health reflect anti-utilitarian aspects anchored strongly in the theoretical concepts of Boaventura de Sousa Santos about the sociology of privations and emergencies as well as of the work of translating. The predominantly qualitative approach collects some complementary quantitative data. The study procedures used were the following: bibliographic research; documental research; interviews; and direct observation. Interpretation of the information obtained was based on documental analysis and on the symbolic cartography of the social representations. Cartographic evidence suggests that practices still take place under dehumanizing conditions that compromise the quality of care given. However, there is a movement aimed at changing the work process that has been strengthening the link and widening the measures developed, incorporating new directions in diversity, integrality and solidarity. The map drawn shows a reality manifested by explicit intentions in a political agenda, by concrete solutions marked by an assortment of difficulties and expressed in the words of the agents and by latent clues identified in successful local experiences, posing many challenges for the consolidation of the proposed changes

As práticas educativas na saúde da família: uma cartografia simbólica

This qualitative research aimed to understand the educational activities carried out in Family Health Units, of the municipality of Mossoró-RN. It was used symbolic cartography to organize and present data from reality. It started on the approach of Health Education and knowledge transformation practice, aiming at the development of autonomy and responsibility of individuals and healthcare, publicized by the appreciation of the interpersonal relations area established in services, such as educational emancipator practices contexts. Individual and collective interviews were realized, conducted with health professionals and users of ESF, about themes, activities, membership, the difficulties, the potential and the design of health education that permeate everyday Family Health Strategy. From what was apprehended, thematic maps were done with the analysis of educational practices of professionals belonging to the Family‟s Health. Links are built with the wires of conceptions of education reflected on themes and activities of family health teams. The storylines are rebinded by voices about the difficulties and the potential of educational processes for emancipator postures. For users, health education means proper care and information on disease prevention. Professionals understand that it is all information that is given to users, about health, social well-being, economic and general condition of human being as a way of preventing and treating disease. Mark printed on voices denote that activities and themes worked don‟t motivate users enough for their participation, being that physicians and dentists also get excluded themselves from educational practices. Elderly groups are those who get most involved with the activities. The size of the contained area and its seclusion from community make harder the access of users, as well as diminishing the quality of educational actions and links users-professionals. Therefore, the searching for medicines, medical consultations and wish to be well served are trademarks of voices from the users that interconnect with enlightening information and guidelines offered by professionals to users. It brings out practices that need to incorporate the social, the subjective and act with practices of prevention and health promotion, on the basis of lifestyles. The dialogical model, which needs to be approached since planning phase of health education actions could arouse interest of involved groups; promoting a relationship of dialogue and listening; discussing the local reality; stimulating practical methodological dialetics; promoting processes of deconstruction of concepts, values and attitudes, as more necessary than construction, using multiple languages. The defended thesis denotes paths to other studies aimed at understanding a dialogical template committed to exchanges of knowledge, and discover strategies that encourage formation of critical consciousness and the discovery of how is the training of new generations of healthcare professionals to belong to the project of society, in its technical, scientific, pedagogical, ethical, political and humanistic dimensions

Praxiologia, representação social de menopausa e práticas educativas de enfermeiras na estratégia saúde da família

This research, whose theme is related to climacteric, aims to know the social representation of menopause developed by the nurses working for Estratégia Saúde da Família (Family Health Strategy) in João Pessoa PB, as well as identifying its structure and verifying the way it interferes with the assistance and educational practices to the climacterial user. In the theoretical level, it is based on a model that articulates the social representations theory, the central nucleus complementary theory and the central concepts of Pierre Bourdieu s praxiology: habitus, cultural capital, social field and symbolic power. A hundred and forty-seven female nurses who work for Estratégia Saúde da Família (Family Health Strategy) in João Pessoa (PB) took part in this research, and the data collection period was from February 2008 to March 2009. As to the methods and techniques, we used the method to determine the central nucleus based on the free association of words, a questionnaire to identify certain regularities that constitute the nurses habitus, and the semi-structured interview to explore opinions and attitudes when facing assistance situations and educational practices and to collect other relevant information. The data analysis was developed, when referring to the free associations, with the help of the EVOC software, which is a group of articulated programs which carry out the statistical analysis of the evocations and the identification of the possible elements of both the central nucleus and the peripheral system of the social representation. As to the questionnaire, we used the descriptive statistical analysis and the analysis of correlation between the variables. The interviews were submitted to a categorical analysis of the content. The EVOC result indicated that the cognition hormone was the only element of the central nucleus of the social representation of menopause. Due to its symbolic value and structuring power, this central nucleus ensures the strict and, at the same time, flexible character of the representational content. The analysis of the social advancement, of some fundamental features of the group habitus, as well as the analysis of its insertion in the health field and of the attitudinal opinions and dispositions concerning the assistance given to the climacterial user, and the analysis of the pedagogical dimension of this assistance, all these analyses lead to the conclusion that the nurses who took part in this research share a social representation of the menopause resulting from the association of different technical and scientific knowledge. These derive from the biomedical pattern as well as from hegemonic values which disqualify old age and overvalue youth, from pedagogical conceptions arising from patterns that are presently regarded as authoritative and old-fashioned and from cultural references (responsible for the semantic variations concerning the central nucleus) which are specific to the subgroups the nurses belong to. This research enables the creation of opportunities for discussion between active nurses working for Estratégia Saúde da Família, and the nurses who are teachers at institutions of higher education, aiming at linking theory to practice, so that they can find ways of thinking about the climacteric and working, in a more comprehensive way, with users who are experiencing this stage of life

Dificuldades e/ou facilidades vivenciadas pelos profissionais que compõem a Estratégia de Saúde da Família

Descriptive and quantitative study, with the objective of review the positive and negative aspects experienced by professionals working in the Family Health Strategy (ESF) of Ceará-Mirim town, at Rio Grande do Norte state. The population included 190 healthcare professionals that integrate the family healthcare staff and the data-collection occurred in a meeting at their workplace, with the implementation of a questionnaire. Results were organized in Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software, with descriptive statistical analysis in tables, graphs and tables through frequencies, averages values and standard deviations. There is a predominance of females (n = 137) and higher rates in almost all professions, and higher average age (38.9%, SD = 7.8) and income wage (average = 10) in the medical category. Regarding the more developed activities, for physicians and nurses are the healthcare actions in the Unit, the oral hygiene for dentists, the immunization for auxiliary nurses (Aux-N), educational meeting for the dental office assistants (ACD), and home visitations to community-based health workers (ACS). About the easiness of work, 93.2% said to be presence of professionals with a personal profile in public healthcare; about the difficulties, 86.8% of professionals cited the unavailability of material, followed by salary range reported by nurses (80.9% ), dentists (80.0%), physicians (73.3%), ACS (83.1%), and Aux-N (90.5%). In relation to working conditions, the unavailability of materials was the most mentioned, with the exception of dentists who reported improvement in wages. We still identify among these difficulties: the drugs availability regarded as first grade obstacle by ACS and physicians, the type of contracts in second grade cited by the ACD and dentists and, in third grade, the salary range cited by dentists and auxiliary nurses. It is concluded that the difficulties and easiness faced by ESF professionals are divergent among themselves. For physicians and nurses, whose healthcare actions become directed to specific groups, the individual and the family, their difficulties relate to the unavailability of materials. For dentists, whose actions more quoted were topical application of fluoride and supervised toothbrush, their greatest difficulty is the salary range. As to the Aux-N, ACD and ACS, for all of them the unavailability of materials has hindered the implementation of their activities in ESF

Condutas de profissionais que realizam a consulta pré-natal na Estratégia Saúde da Família quanto à detecção, tratamento e acompanhamento da gestante com sífilis

The objective of this exploratory descriptive quantitative study was to analyze the behaviors in the detection, treatment and followup of the pregnant woman with syphilis, by health professionals that conduct the pre-natal consultation in the Family Health Strategy, as to the adherence to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health. The study was conducted in nine municipalites of the Trairi region in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. Data were collected during the months of July through September 2007, by means of a questionnaire with a population of 53 health professionals, 30 nurses and 23 physicians. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. The results were organized in three major items: knowledge of the health professionals about the symptomatology of syphilis and their actions in the detection of the disease; actions in the treatment of the pregnant woman with syphilis; and the actions of followup of the desease. We identified that 81,2% of the professionals have knowledge about the symptomatology of syphilis in the pregnant woman;79,2% request the VDRL exam in the adequate intervals and approximately 50% conduct the treatment in conformity with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health. For the followup care of the infected woman, 79,2% request a monthly VDRL examination, 69,8% explain the disease to the pregnant woman, and 20,7% affirm that they conduct a proper reception to the woman.We conclude that the majority of the health professionals have knowledge of the detection, treatment and followup of the pregnant woman with syphilis. However, the actions of some professionals diverge from the conduct procedures recommended by the Ministry of Health, as to the requesting of the examinations, medication prescription and notification of the iesease. This indicates the need for improved

A fragilidade e suas representações para idosos domiciliados no contexto da estratégia de Saúde da Família

This study aims to analyze social representations of elders to their fragile situation at home, with the presence of one or more characteristics, as defined by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. It is a descriptive and qualitative study, based on methodological -principles of the Theory of Social Representations. Setting was the homes of elderly residents in the area ascribed to a Family Health Unit (FHU) in the city of Natal. A total of 10 elderly subjects, whose choice was intentional and according to the need for USF home visit in a period of time, considering the saturation process of the information. As collection procedures were used the semi-structured interview and participant observation in accordance with the ethical rules of Resolution No. 196/96, with the assent of the Ethics and Research UFRN. To analyze the results, it was used the thematic content analysis in the aspect of preparation of representations, focusing on the totality of the discourse of the subjects. The results indicate that most study participants felt difficult to give meaning to the terms weakness and to be weak, although many present one or more aspects of the syndrome of frailty. From the content analysis of participants speeches in this study, we achieved the following categories: fragility as illness and disease as aging, aging and frailty as causes of changes and difficulties in daily life, the presence of family life in the fragile elderly, fragility as weakness and the risk for falls, the perception of being weak like a different person in addition to the absence of fragility in elderly life. Thus, through the processes of anchoring and objectification, the "fragile being" became familiar and concrete, showing that the meaning of weakness, besides the scientific definition found in the reified universes, can be reinterpreted and built within the consensus universes. About the care received by the staff of Family Health, from the viewpoint of older people there seems to be an understanding about the role of professional nurses; on the other hand, older people often mention the role of the Community Health Agent

Atuação dos enfermeiros da estratégia de saúde da família frente à violência intrafamiliar contra a criança

The family violence against children became visible, in the context of public health, due to the damage and injuries generated in the lives of children and to the growing need of investment in physical and human resources to fill this demand. In this context, it is believed that intervention could prevent such events and are configured as primary strategies to prevent the corollaries generated by the violence. In this perspective, this study aims to analyze the performance of nurses dealing with the Strategy of Family Health viewing to identify actions based on the paradigm of health distribution. This is a descriptive, exploratory and qualitative research. The data were analyzed based on the content analysis about the method proposed by Bardin. The study was conducted in Mossoró-RN and the participants were 14 nurses working for the Family Health Strategy in Health Units of this town. The instrument for data collection was a semi-structured questionnaire, with questions answered by the participants themselves. It was evident to the study that the nurses believe that health education are the main tool for dealing with domestic violence against children, being developed, however, in its positivist and vertical way. The actions used to develop health performed by the team on their daily lives are limited to educational activities and are carried exactly when cases of family violence against children are notified. Barriers to the practice emerged from fear of reprisals from the agressor, overwork, lack of management support and difficulty for the realization of interdisciplinary, intersectorality and comprehensive care.

O homem na estratégia de saúde da família

The research aimed to understand the general perception of men about their health care in a health unit família. This is an exploratory and descriptive qualitative approach, developed at the Center for Health Dr Vulpiano Cavalcante in the City of Parnamirim / RN. Participated in the investigation 12 men enrolled in the Estratégia de Saúde da Família ESF (Family Health Strategy), in the age-group 20 to 59 years lived in the catchment area of one of the ESF teams unit above. Data were collected from July to August 2009, through structured interviews, which, after transcription have undergone a process of identifying meaning units, coded and categorized according to the precepts of content analysis according to Bardin. Following in the footsteps of this method, originated the following themes: "Revealing what motivates men to seek assistance in the Estratégia de Saúde da Família," "Expressing knowledge of the Estratégia de Saúde da Família ", "an opinion about the care health and relationship with the ESF. The analysis was processed according to the principles of symbolic interactionism as Blumer. To support the discussions were used literary themes about man in the context of public health policies and the man in the family and the influences of gender. These, when they had their properties and dimensions analyzed, raised the central category Man on the Estratégia de Saúde da Família . The results show that respondents have limited knowledge about the ESF, your actions turn to use the service when no obligation arising from discomforts and accuracy of care. Moreover, delivering the opinion of the care with your health, even need, but recognizing that do not perform self-care. Given this reality, we can conclude that the perception of the man about his health in the ESF permeates gender issues that influence their behavior toward disease prevention and health promotion. This situation requires that the professionals and managers of health initiatives for the inclusion of man in the actions of the ESF assistance starting from the understanding of their conceptions of health care.

Entre flores e espinhos: a atuação do técnico em enfermagem na estratégia saúde da família

It is about a study of an exploratory/descriptive type with a qualitative approach whose aim was to analyze the actuation of nursing technicians in Family Health Strategy (FHS), taking into consideration the defined attributions by the Ministry of Health (MH). Thus, it was sought to identify what activities they carry out, the difficulties encountered, what contributed to their professional performance, and what vision they have about FHS and about themselves in the context. Based on the assumption that the practice of Nursing Technician is not still geared to completeness and that the developed actions by this professional are predominantly individual and curative. We know that FHS proposes the work organization as a team, with territory definition, prioritization of promotion actions, protection and recovery of the individual/family/community health, choosing as a central point the establishment of entails between the professionals and the same ones. However, the team work pass through interdisciplinary, tying and competence, starting making the difference in the way of thinking and doing health. To the accomplishment of this study were interviewed twenty one Nursing Technicians of Family Health Units from Sanitário Oeste district in Natal-RN, using semistructured instrument. From the analysis, three empiric categories emerged: starting from the first, The reality of a dream: what FHS is for the Nursing Technician, we obtained two classifications: one inherent to the own conception they have about FHS, nominated The realization of a dream in the possible and another that corresponds to what they think about FHS, while project that doesn't take place fully, denominated of The beauty of a dream that doesn't take place. The second category was The FHS: a dream built in the daily of Nursing Technician treats of the day by day information of that professional; the activities they perform and how those are established. This created three other items, to know: The role of a Nursing Technician: a project that became routine; The pre-determined role of a Nursing Technician: the scale as factor of (non-)autonomy; and, Knowledge about the practice in FHS: challenges that are presented to the role of Nursing Technician. The third category, denominated of Charms and disenchantment in the beginning of a new practice, it is related to the facilities or difficulties in professional's actuation and how he sees himself in the context. From it emerged the "flowers" and the "thorns" found on the construction of a dream, which gave this study the title. The results indicate that, being considered the characteristics of researched professional category, it becomes fundamental the resizing of labor relations in FHS, being imperative that new glances is conducted, so that the way as those Nursing Technicians interacts with the families can become compatible, together with the team, as well as to return the attention for their possibilities and limits in face of the work process in FHS. Besides, it is necessary changes in the professional formation, so that it can guarantee the conceptual bases in the construction of new practices, seeking to answer to the model of current attention.

Repercussões da terapia comunitária no processo de trabalho na estratégia saúde da família: um estudo representacional

The Community Therapy (CT) is in a practice of therapeutic effect and may also be considered as a technology takes care of the therapeutic procedure group, whose purpose is to promote health, prevent illness, developed within primary care in mental health. In this study we sought to understand the social representations of health professionals who work with the Community Therapy, on use of the Family Health Strategy (FHS) in the city of Joao Pessoa. This is a field research with a qualitative view Moscovician Theory of Social Representations, held with seven professionals of the FHS, therapists of Community Health District II. The empirical data were obtained by carrying out two thematic therapies in April 2009, which were wheeled CT. It was used as a technique for analyzing the collective subject discourse, and the data presented through graphs, charts, maps, pictures and graphics and arranged in three stages: Subjects of the study, characterizing the study participants; Social Representations of Therapist Community presenting and discussing the social representations of therapists community studied on CT, and Consequences of Community Therapy at the Family Health Strategy, discussing the meanings attributed by the study participants about changes in FHS. Meanings were attributed to the CT by the therapists studied originated from the speeches, songs, drawings and constructed, and that presented by schematic illustration show the relation between the representations: life, listening, faith / light, change, transformation. The web, symbol of CT, appeared on the images constructed by the representatives of the study and represents the formation of bonds that allows the construction of social support networks that strengthen relationships among community. In the study, proved by professionals who have the meanings about the changes in the work process from the introduction of CT, and shown that the change took place within a more welcoming attitude on the part of professionals, the relationship between Team members had no significant changes, explained by the low compliance of team members to the CT in relation to the user front, the bond was strengthened, and this involved strengthening the role of the therapist community. It is recognized, thereby transforming the character of CT in building links with users, requiring, however, that the team is viewed as offering therapeutic services, not the professional therapist. Therefore, the CT for being a new phenomenon in health services and community belonging, it fits like a novelty which affects the construction of a representation dispute. Still, can contribute to the reorganization of mental health care in line with the new model of mental health care advocated by the Psychiatric Reform.

Análise de qualidade da atenção à criança na estratégia saúde da família: o óbito infantil evitável como referência

Alma-Ata declaration bring the Primary Attention to the Health (PAH) as first level of health attention for individuals, family and community, which considers infant group as priority. Several initiatives that gave bases to integral attention to the children health formalized in the principles of Unique Health System. Family Health Strategy (FHS) comes to strengthen this attention, instituting new ways of work organization and professional practices that gave impact in their quality indicators. One of them is children mortality, showing decline in their values. Though, studies indicates persistence of avoidable infant deaths. In Natal RN, this reality is also perceptible leading to inquietudes, mainly at the space of services production, it means, which motivated the accomplishment of the present study intending to analyse the way that the organizational and structural processes as long as the professional practices in FHS interfered in the quality of children s health attention who died by avoidable death in the year of 2007 in municipal district of Natal-RN. It treats, therefore, to an exploratory and descriptive survey of cases study type, thar had as primary sources the oficial documents of MH, the family prontuary, pregnant card, child card and testimony obt ined from instrument of research elaborated based in investigation form of infant death by MH, applied to 10 mothers of children who had avoidable death. In analysis it was appealed silmultaneous triangulation of methods and sources, allowing a bigger aproximation from obtained informations. To elucidate the cases, the aspects studied were analyzed to the light of explicative model of Social Determinants of Health. Among individual and family aspects were highlighted the related to age, schooling, family habits and customs and mother s economic condition, besides of pregnancy age, newborn weight and associated diseases, which don t differ from literature about the theme. Reffering to the factors organizational and structural processes and professionals practice, highlihgted, the treatment given by the professionals, the territorialization and adscription of areas, the difficulty of having access to the services or sleepers and the reference and counterreference. But also, the ausence or few greet, the lack of communication, few assiduity and ponctuality by professionals in service, among others. In a general way mothers considers the attendance received in the hospital good and very good , opnions that in the Basic Attention weren t so favorable, in spite of many of predictible actions in this level have been performed in the studied cases. It is observed, therefore, that the social determinants of health has a strong influence in ocurrence of infant deaths, what implicates in a large actuation by Infant Mortality Committee from municipal district. This way, it becomes fundamental the reflection and evaluation about the effectiveness and execution by the processes of vigilance to health in FHUs; the rethink about the social determinants of health in a wide and articulate way to the services quality, to permanent education, to management in service, to the given attention and to the way how it is installed the popular participation and social control. To the professionals it is presented the great challenge to review their daily practice, their values, behaviors and commitment, which ones must be guided by logical of sharing, work in team, humanescence and alterity, not only by the accomplishment of a professional duty

A organização do dots em um distrito sanitário de Natal/RN, 2009

Tuberculosis is an ancient disease that remains a serious problem of Public Health, requiring a pressing attention. Advances in the knowledge and technology available to control it has not been sufficient to significantly impact on morbidity and mortality, especially in developing countries. To enable patient compliance with TB treatment, preventing the abandonment of this to ensure the correct use of medicines has been suggested the DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment - Short course) or directly Observable Short Course Treatment. This study focuses on the incorporation of two technical components of the DOTS strategy at the Family Health, namely, active search for respiratoy symptoms and Supervisioned Treatment (ST). The West Sanitary District was considered best suited to be the focus of study because it is assumed that those sites that were better structured would provide better information about the situation of the strategy in the municipality. Its purpose is to analyze the organization of DOTS as the active search for respiratory symptoms and Directly Observed Therapy in Health Teams Family belonging to a Health District in the city of Natal, Brazil. An exploratory descriptive study with a quantitative approach which involved health professionals from 11 units of Family Health, West Sanitary District, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. We interviewed 62 professionals on the professional category, their involvement in the DOTS strategy, managers' contributions to the sustainability of the strategy, actions Search for symptomatic diagnosis and supervised treatment of TB cases and difficulties and facilities for the sustainability of the DOTS strategy. It is concluded that the actions taken by the professionals of the FHS West Health District are organized in more supervised treatment, a fact noted in their perceptions about DOTS

Ações de detecção precoce do câncer de mama realizadas por profissionais da estratégia saúde da família

This study is an exploratory descriptive study with a quantitative approach. The objective was to identify the actions for the early detection of breast cancer conducted by the health professionals of the Family Health Strategy in the Trairi region of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The research was conducted in nine municipalities of the region. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire with 52 Family Health Strategy professionals, 30 nurses and 22 physicians, that work in the region. Analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics. The results were organized and discussed in three areas: Knowledge about the early detection of breast cancer; Actions for early detection detection of breast cancer, and Difficulties experienced in the screening actions for breast cancer. The results indicate that these professionals (100%) have knowledge of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and that the majority (96,2%) conduct screening actions in accordance with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health. However, a considerable number (55,8%) of these professionals encounters difficulties while conducting the screening procedures in his work setting. The difficulties varied from those of a personal nature to those of access to the procedure, such as the unavailability of sufficient quotas of screening exams. We conclude that the majority of health professionals execute the screening actions for breast cancer in their work settings according to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, even though they encounter difficulties in the conclusion of the mammography and ultrasound exams, essential procedures in the early detection of breast cancer. We understand that these professionals demonstrate knowledge of secondary prevention even though they do not execute all the actions necessary for early detection primarily because they are impeded by the blockage of access to exam quotas. We conclude that, in spite of the difficulties experienced, the procedures for the early detection of breast cancer are being executed by the majority of the Family Health Strategy professionals in the Trairí region, specifically the clinical examination of the breast, orientation of breast self examination, requests for mammography and ultra sound examinations. Measures are needed that can mediate the difficulties, that will permit the realization of secondary prevention procedures with the population at risk in the region. We suggest training and actualization courses on the complete screening process that includes a wide discussion of the new legislation that provides the mammography exam for women over 40 years. We believe that the acquisition of such a work perspective for the early detection of breast cancer, along with knowledge of health vigilance and of breast cancer, will enhance integral health care of women that constitutes an aim of the nurse and the family health team