Saúde do trabalhador na atenção primária : percepções e práticas de equipes de saúde da família

Abstract

This study sought to recognize the perceptions of family health teams regarding work-health-illness relationships, and to identify strategies, facilities and difficulties relating to providing workers with healthcare. Focus groups were conducted among primary care professionals in three Brazilian cities: Palmas (TO), Sobral (CE), and Alpinópolis (MG). The Bardin technique for content analysis was used to organize and analyze the data. The results showed that the healthcare actions provided to workers were unsystematic and out of line with the guidelines and objectives of the Brazilian National Occupational Health Policy. The major problems identified were: work overload; unpreparedness among the teams regarding issues involving work-health-illness relationships; and lack of institutional support, among others. Central organizational support for healthcare teams, provided by occupational health reference centers and other parts of the Brazilian National Health System, was identified as a facilitator of actions.