The community health agent from the perspective of the basic health team

Abstract

In this study we tried to understand how members of the basic health team (doctors, nurses and nursing assistants) perceive the role of the community health agent within the family health units in the city of Ribeirao Preto, State of Sao Paulo. Through qualitative research, semi structured interviews were conducted and analyzed according to the thematic modality of content analysis. It was shown that some of the professionals see the community health agent as that one who facilitates the relationships between the health team and the community, thus serving as a link between these two universes; others have other views, noting the fact that the agents work in the same community where they live and can be a motive for abrasive interaction between the agent and the team. Others professionals don’t consider the community health agent to be a member of the team. It was clear that the members of the basic health team consider the community health agent important inside the family health team, but that alone doesn’t create change since the commitment of all the professionals is fundamental for the activities of assistance in health to be developed, and that requires changes in behavioral, a challenge to surmount.