Formação médica e docência em Atenção Primária à Saúde: percepções dos docentes da Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia da Universidade Federal da Bahia

Abstract

Objectives: To analyze the perception of UFBA’s undergraduate medical course professors on teaching in Primary Health Care (PHC). Background: In the context of the development of American capitalism, with the existing tendency to profit from health care, the biomedical model became hegemonic in the United States during the 20th century; and the 1912 Flexner Report served as the basis for medical education worldwide. New models of health care were proposed and, after the Alma-Ata Conference, Primary Health Care (PHC) stood out as the basis of health systems. With the creation of the Brazilian Public health (SUS) in 1988, there was a convergence towards the installation of a comprehensive PHC model, with the expansion of the Family Health Strategy in Brazil, and changes in the scope of medical education became necessary. Methods: A cross-sectional qualitative and quantitative study based on the application of questionnaires, sent by electronic means to all the professors of the Medicine Faculty of Bahia in the semesters 2015.2 and 2016.1, who voluntarily agreed to participate on the study. The questions were grouped in the following blocks: 1- Characterization of the study population and factors related to their health training; 2- Medical course factors directly or indirectly related to PHC; 3- Factors related to teaching in PHC. Results: 82 professors answered the questionnaire. Ethical Considerations: Participation was voluntary and all subjects in the study agreed to the informed consent form. The authors did not have any conflicts of interest in the study. Discussion and conclusions: Most professors feel secure working in primary health care (PHC) and teaching related content and skills, however, they did not have a generalist background with a focus on PHC in their training process and their knowledge on the National curricular guidelines was deficient. In addition, major deficiencies related to teaching and to the teaching-learning process in PHC in FMB-UFBA were identified, and it is necessary to rethink the commitments of medical education and stimulate new processes of change.