PERCEPTION AND EXPERIENCE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ON THE PREVENTION OF LATENT TUBERCULOSIS IN PRIMARY CARE

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the perception and experiences of Primary Health Care professionals regarding the prevention of Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI). Material and Method: Exploratory, descriptive study, with a qualitative approach, carried out with eight primary care health professionals, from three states of Brazil (midwest, southeast and south) and the Federal District. Data were collected through a semi-structured collective interview with the guiding question: What is the perception and experience of primary health care professionals in preventing Latent Tuberculosis Infection? Content analysis was performed using the Collective Subject Discourse technique. Results: grouping of collective discourses: 1) experience and supervision of LTBI treatment for vulnerable people; 2) Family care and the importance of the Family Health Strategy in the treatment of LTBI; 3) LTBI prevention campaigns and 4) fragility in integration with specialized services and absence of care flows/line of care. Conclusion: the ideas of the collective discourse express the need for changes in the management of health work at the primary care level, in order to enhance existing prevention and treatment actions, considering permanent education, the definition of assistance flows and lines of care , with emphasis on the vulnerable population.