Managers’ discourse about information and knowledge related to directly observed treatment of tuberculosis

Abstract

Qualitative study that aimed to analyze the discourse of 15 district managers about knowledge and information related to the transfer of the Directly Observed Treatment of Tuberculosis policy in the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. The empiric material, collected in May and June 2013 through interviews, was analyzed according to Michel Pêcheux’s Discourse Analysis. Despite contradictions, misunderstandings and silences observed in some discourse about this policy, the interviewees value the matricial support and the shared discussions involving the professionals, the management and the users, with emphasis on the rearrangement of the service in operating the Directly Observed Treatment of Tuberculosis. The need for investments in professional qualification is clear, with a view to refining the work process through the reorientation of practices from the perspective of continuing education, which represents a strong device for the exchange of knowledge and innovative proposals with a view to effective tuberculosis control.