Abstract

THAINES, Geovana Hagata de Lima Souza; BELLATO, Roseney; FARIA, Ana Paula Silva de  and  ARAUJO, Laura Filomena Santos de. The search for care undertaken by a user with diabetes mellitus: an invitation for reflection about comprehensiveness in health care. Texto contexto - enferm. [online]. 2009, vol.18, n.1, pp. 57-66. ISSN 0104-0707.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0104-07072009000100007.

This is a case study aimed at understanding better the trajectory undertaken by a user with Diabetes mellitus from the municipality of Sorriso-MT, Brazil in seeking care for his/her health care needs, as well as analyzing the logic that guided the search, given the perspective of the principle of integrality in health care. Data was collected through an in-depth interview and allowed us to draw the Therapeutic Itinerary undertaken by the user in their search for care. From the data three sense groups emerged, outlined as the evolution of the user's illness experience and search for care, their perception of what it is to be cared for, and the denial of their chronic condition. Understanding this personal and subjective illness experience allows us to better understand that the whole of health care depends on professional practices which consider how people rebuild their lives in facing the chronic condition of Diabetes mellitus.

Keywords : Nursing; Diabetes mellitus; Health care.