Violence and Primary Health Care : perceptions and experiences of professionals and users.

Abstract

This study aimed to compare experiences and perceptions of users and health professionals on violence in the context of Primary Health Care. It is a cross-sectional study of qualitative and quantitative nature conducted in Ribeirão das Neves (Minas Gerais), in which semi-structured interviews were carried out using questionnaires applicable to users (n= 628) and self-administered to professionals (n=300). Descriptive analysis was performed – distribution of simple frequency, cross and bivariate – and correspondence analysis comparing the responses of users and professionals, stored in two different databases. The Thematic Categorical Content Analysis enabled the construction of three categories of analysis – from which were discussed and jointly, the quantitative and qualitative results: 1) Violence as a health problem; 2) Completeness of Care; 3) Social Participation. It is noted that violence permeates everyday life and activity of users and professionals, behaving as an event that deserves deepening by who is suffering, living and dealing with the problem. The social participation spaces were recognized as an important strategy of community inclusion in the discussion of their problems. However, users and professionals differ on the role of health care in addressing and violence. Primary care has great potential to produce quality of care but apparently does not accomplish it when deals with the violence approach.