Best Practices in Maternal and Child Health from the Perspective of Healthcare Professionals

Abstract

Objective: To understand healthcare professionals’ perception of best practices in maternal and child health. Materials and methods: This qualitative exploratory-descriptive study was conducted be-tween December 2020 and March 2021. The study corpus consisted of 23 healthcare professionals from southern Brazil. Data were col-lected using a semi-structured script and coded based on Minayo’s thematic content analysis proposed. Results: Data analysis enabled the delimitation of two thematic categories: “best practices in maternal and child health: from idealization to accomplishment” and “strategies to qualify the maternal and child healthcare network.” Conclusions: Healthcare professionals recognize the relevance of best practices in maternal and child health, although this process must be expanded and consolidated. Continuing education, hospi-tality, ambiance, improved access, and the professional-user con-nection stand out among the qualifying strategies.