The term "humanization" has been employed constantly in the health field. It is the base of a wide set of initiatives, even though the concept does not have a clear definition. Generally, it refers to a kind of assistance that gives importance to the technical quality of care, associated with recognition of patients' rights, subjectivity and culture. Such concept intends to guide a new praxis in the care production in health. This article, of exploratory mark, aims analyze the speech of the Health Department on the assistance humanization. We investigate the meanings and expectations associates to the humanization idea from the analysis of the official texts, retaking a critical dialog with the authors of the area of public health and of the social sciences. We argue the central ideas of the humanization as opposition to the violence; quality assistance offer, articulating the technological advances with welcoming; professional working terms improvement; and communicational process enlargement, central axis of the texts.
Humanized care; Quality of health care; Hospitalization; Communication