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Adding physiotherapy practitioners to family health teams and Brazil's National Health System (SUS): challenges in training

This paper presents the role of the physiotherapist in the Family Health Program, particularly with regard to all-round care, analyzing the academic education of physiotherapists in terms of this Program from the standpoint of the players involved, based on an analysis of the Physiotherapy Course at the Tubarão campus of the Southern Santa Catarina State University (UNISUL). Similar to a case study, a qualitative survey was conducted, interviewing three Family Health Program nurses, three teachers, two interns and the Deputy Coordinator of this course. The data were analyzed through an examination of the contents of the collected responses. The closing remarks of this paper stress that the understanding of the nurses and the students of the role played by the physiotherapist in the Family Health Program is guided by diseases. This indicates a need for better-informed lecturers and coordination on this matter to avoid this repercussion, extending experiences in the Family Health Program built up during the course and preparing practitioners for working in teams providing all-round care.

All-round care; Professional education; Physiotherapy


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