Perception of Primary Care professionals on continuity of care in the Kangaroo Method

Abstract

The Kangaroo Method is a health policy in Brazil and proposes a humanized care for preterm and/or low birth weight newborns and their families. Based on the Brazilian conception, it is developed in three stages, the first two being carried out in the hospital and the third at home, with shared monitoring between the hospital staff and the Primary Health Care staff. The study sought to understand the perception of Primary Health Care professionals regarding the continuity of care for preterm and/or low birth weight newborns discharged from the neonatal unit. This is an exploratory descriptive research with a qualitative approach, carried out with 22 Primary Care professionals who work in direct care for preterm and/or low birth weight newborns in the city of Florianópolis, from February to March 2020, using Content Analysis. Four categories emerged from the research: Bond with the Family, Interdisciplinary Relationship in Primary Health Care, Communication in Reference and Counter-reference, and Required Aspects for Continuity of Care for Preterm and/or Low Birth Weight Newborns. Professionals consider that there is a lack of communication between specialized care and Primary Care and suggest training on the Kangaroo Care Method. They also report a good interpersonal relationship between doctors and nurses. It is concluded that despite the fragilities presented in terms of communication between services and the sometimes fragmented care, the connection with the family as a health strategy has potential for maintaining the third stage of the Method.