Social determinants of health and community health agent work

Abstract

Objective: To understand the social determinants of health from the perspective of the work of community health agents. Method: A qualitative study conducted in a Health District Management in the city of Porto Alegre/Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, through focus groups and semi-structured interviews with community health agents. The analysis took place through thematic categorization, and the social determinants of health were adopted as the analytical category. Results: Twenty-five (25) community health agent workers participated. Overlapping individual and collective themes emerged, from violence and drug trafficking to lack of sanitation, improperly disposed garbage, illiteracy and the health problems themselves. Conclusion: The study revealed a complex relationship between the work of community health agents and the social determinants of health, reinforcing the need for a cohesive health team with intersectoral initiatives to address the different demands of the territories which are worked and lived in.

Patient safety culture in primary health care: Medical office survey on patient safety culture in a Brazilian family health strategy setting

“…The FHS made it possible to expand the PHC coverage to a large portion of the Brazilian inhabitants, especially for the most vulnerable, remote, and deprived populations, becoming a successful model for the public health care system improvement in the attempt to achieve the universal right to health [ 22 , 24 – 27 ]. Moreover, considering the attributes of the FHS, such as comprehensiveness, longitudinally, family orientation, community orientation, and coordination, the FHS may be associated with a positive patient safety culture [ 27 ]. It should be highlighted that the community health workers are cornerstones of the FHS model since they bring and monitor the health care population because they live in the community where they work [ 23 , 28 ].…”

Continuing education in healthcare as a strategy for occupational safety in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: reflections on the role of community healthcare agents in construction of care

“…4 , 11 Going beyond their actions in the community, the CHA daily support and strengthen access to and ties with the services provided by the FHS, disseminating information about the services offered by physicians, nurses, and dentists. 12 However, as the crisis in Brazilian public health has been exacerbated by COVID-19, the CHAs’ work has been changing, following a pathway of reconstruction of professional practice.…”

“…It is therefore necessary that that the FHS team and managers work in cohesion with the CHA, addressing their needs for improvements to and adaptation of their working practices to deal with COVID-19. 12 It is necessary that written instructions be more didactic so that they can be easily assimilated and problematized in these professionals’ daily routines.…”

Nursing actions promoting adherence to tuberculosis treatment: scoping review

“…When these devices are not supported, there is a risk of overload and/or limitation in nursing work. On the other hand, this contribution can be mobilized if there is cohesion among the various professionals who make up the health teams and if they take on the responsibility of carrying out intersectoral articulations that address the demands of the territory (81) where individuals, families, and TB-affected communities live.…”