Dimensions of interprofessional collaboration in the dynamics of the expanded family health and primary care centers: A qualitative study.

Primary health care (PHC) in Brazil is based on Family Health Strategy (FHS) teams. These teams are supported by Expanded Family Health and Primary Care Centers (Nuclei) (NASF-AB) whose services are backbone elements for comprehensive health care within PHC. NASF-AB encompass several professional groups that aim to increase the responsiveness and scope of actions of the FHS teams. The objective of this study was to identify the dimensions of collaboration in the work dynamics of NASF-AB in the capital of Northeast Brazil. The study was a descriptive and exploratory research using a qualitative approach through semi-structured interviews with nine NASF-AB workers and three district health managers. Three analytical categories were identified following content analysis: "Interprofessional and inter-organizational collaboration," "Mainstays of collaboration in the relationship between NASF-AB and FHS," and "Challenges for a culture of collaboration in health care work." The results revealed important characteristics for interprofessional collaboration, including recognition of the attributions of the different teams and the key role of communication and planning. Participants highlighted roadblocks for interprofessional collaboration that hampered comprehensive care, such as the shortage of manpower and material resources, work overload, and lack of availability of professionals for effective teamwork.

The effectiveness of faculty development activities for interprofessional education : A systematic review protocol.

Despite increasing international demand for interprofessional education (IPE) in health care, there remains limited understanding of the kind of faculty development (FD) activities needed. This paper reports on a protocol for a systematic review to answer the question: What are the available FD activities for IPE facilitators, and which are more effective? The review aims to identify principles and methods to develop competent facilitators in IPE and to identify the implications and effects of FD for IPE concerning individuals, organizations, education, and health practice. Literature was identified through systematic searches in the electronic databases: MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Eric (EBSCO), CINAHL (EBSCO), Scopus, and Web of Science. There will be no restrictions on language or publication period. Screening of potential studies will be completed independently by at least two reviewers. The research quality of studies will be assessed for methodological rigor using established instruments based on the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Search results will be summarized using the PRISMA flow diagram. The proposed review seeks to provide clarity on the evidence base of FD for IPE facilitators, to strengthen future design and delivery of FD activities, and to enable ongoing success of this educational model.

Trabalho Interprofissional e as Práticas Integrativas e Complementares no contexto da Atenção Primária à Saúde: potenciais e desafios / Interprofessional Work and Integrative and Complementary Practices in the context of Primary Health Care: potentials and challenges

Este artigo analisa resultados do primeiro de três estudos que integram o projeto 'As Racionalidades Médicas e Práticas Integrativas e Complementares nos serviços de APS na Região Metropolitana de Campinas/SP', desenvolvido pelo Laboratório de Práticas Alternativas, Complementares e Integrativas em Saúde (Lapacis/Unicamp), o qual tem como parte de sua missão apoiar ações governamentais de implementação das PIC no SUS. No período de setembro de 2014 a junho de 2015, após aprovação do projeto pelo Comitê de Ética e pelo Colegiado de Gestão Regional da Região Metropolitana de Campinas, desenvolveu-se um censo em todos os serviços de APS dos 20 municípios da Região Metropolitana de Campinas (RMC), para identificar quais eram as PIC ofertadas e quais as avaliações dos coordenadores das unidades sobre o uso dessas práticas no serviço.

New national curricula guidelines that support the use of interprofessional education in the Brazilian context: An analysis of key documents.

The National Curricular Guidelines (NCGs) are important documents for understanding the history of academic health professions education in Brazil. Key policies within the NCGs have helped to reorient health professions education and have stimulated curricular changes, including active learning methodologies and more integrated teaching-service environments, and, more recently, have introduced interprofessional education (IPE) in both undergraduate and postgraduate sectors. This article presents the findings of a study that examined the NCGs for nursing, dentistry, and medicine courses as juridical foundations for adopting strategies that promote IPE across higher education institutions in Brazil. We employed a comparative and exploratory documentary analysis to understand the role of IPE and collaborative practices in NCGs for the three largest professions in Brazil. Following a thematic analysis of these texts, four key themes emerged: faculty development; competencies for teamwork; curricular structure; and learning metrics. Key findings related to each of these themes are presented and discussed in relation to the wider interprofessional literature. The article goes on to argue that the statements contained in the NCGs about adoption of IPE and collaborative practices will have an important influence in shaping the future of health professions education in Brazil.