Development of educational actions to change daily habits: An experience report

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Health education is carried out with a multidisciplinary team in a way that involves the educating agents in their own education process and guarantees the change of habits that guarantee a better quality of life and health for them. Thus, health education becomes a fundamental element to guarantee a critical reflective thinking of Primary Health Care (PHC) users, as it guarantees autonomy for self-care. In addition, health education can ensure the reduction of morbidity and mortality indicators, contributing to the reduction of public spending and increasing the efficiency of PHC services. Thus, these actions are the guarantee to raise the level of quality of Brazilian public health and guarantee the prevention and promotion of health for Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs), as they will reduce the risk factors and the consequences that these pathologies can occasion. OBJECTIVE: To report the experience of planning health education strategies in Primary Health Care aimed at preventing CNCDs. DEVELOPMENT: During one of the workshops held with the FortaleceRAS project tutor, through a conversation circle, possible educational actions were surveyed to be developed in the territory of the day-to-day reality of the Basic Health Unit (UBS) team, including the survey of critical nodes and existing potential listed by each professional present. After listing all the critical nodes and potentialities, possibilities of actions that would be possible in the territory where the UBS is inserted were associated with the theory addressed in previous workshops with the tutor. These actions were aimed at preventing and promoting the health of people who fell within the Care Lines for Overweight and Obesity, Systemic Arterial Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus. Thus, the action chosen by the team was the weekly waiting room. RESULTS: This moment with the tutor provided a different look at the local reality, from the professionals present, at the existing vulnerabilities and enabled thinking to solve the existing gaps that were previously seen as unsolvable due to the UBS being inserted in a place of high social vulnerability. In addition, the workshops and the knowledge shared with the team have contributed to the overall functioning and progress of all team members with the assistance service, as it has increased the resolving capacity of the working professionals. CONTRIBUTIONS TO SUS AND THE POPULATION: The workshops developed by the tutor through the permanent education process have contributed to the strengthening of the team. Thus, it is expected that the knowledge acquired through the workshops carried out can continue to impact the assistance provided to users. And, that the planned action can generate results, even in the long term, in the life of the population and in the morbidity and mortality indicators.