Comprehensiveness in the primary health care system: understanding of medical and nursing students

Abstract

This research analyzed the understanding of the concept of “comprehensiveness” from the medicine/nursing students’ perspective integrated in the Primary Health Care System (PHC). The guiding assumption is the need to understand the comprehensiveness in PHC due to its impact and relevance in future health professionals training. This is an exploratory, descriptive study, with a qualitative approach. Eight students were interviewed and the data was interpreted using the Content Analysis method in the Thematic Modality. The result was the emergence of three thematic categories: “The interrelationship between theory and practice promotes the teaching-learning process about comprehensiveness”; “Both people-centered care and the community/family allude to the development of comprehensiveness and, “Inadequacy in UPP and Healthcare facilities structure hinders the learning of comprehensiveness. The findings suggest the students grasp the teaching-learning process in terms of the understanding of care from the comprehensiveness perspective.