Social representations of primary care physicians about health care for people with disabilities

Abstract

The objective was to analyze the Social Representations of physicians working in the Family Health Strategy on health care for people with disabilities (PwD). The Theory of Social Representations was used, with a structural approach of the Central Nucleus Theory based on the technique of evoking words analyzed by the EVOC® and IRAMUTEC® software. 109 physicians participated, predominantly younger individuals and women. Care to PwD is guided by an incomplete, unsafe practice, permeated by the fear of doctors who mention gaps in the professional training process, in addition to communication difficulties with patients identified as PwD. Few physicians have more inclusive reports on PwD care. The predominant perceptions are restricted to the body, standardized by the biomedical model and ignoring social structures.