Mismatches between professional education and care needs of the adolescents in primary health care

Abstract

The aim of this stydy was to discuss features related to the formative process for managers and professionals of Primary Health Care (PHC) in adolescent health care. It was a qualitative research involving seven managers and 17 professionals from PHC (semi-structured interviews), ten professionals from the Family Health Support Group and 47 adolescents (focus groups). The analysis was based in the hermeneutic-dialectical perspective and the concept of comprehensive care was used to guide the theoretical debate. Professionals and managers find that undergraduate and continuing education is incipient, not covering comprehensive care. The adolescents highlighted the lack of preparation of professionals as obstacles in their linkage to the service. Larger investments are needed in the professional education as a way to improve the practice of PHC services, in order to make them more coherent and appropriate to the logic of care and the needs/lifestyles of adolescents.