Health education: community health workers and medical students in the control of dengue epidemics

Abstract

The Family Health Strategy represents one of the most successful initiatives for reorganization of primary care in Brazil. It brings, as differential, the Community Health Workers (CHW), who acts facilitating community access to effective professional care in the form of health-promoting actions. However, the way workers receive training to manage epidemics, as dengue, is almost unknown. In this context, this project addresses the importance of bringing together medical students and CHW in order to strengthening not only continuing education of CHW, but also the experienced learning of future physicians. The method adopted was the conduction of a focus group with six workers in a primary health care center in a mid-size town of Brazilian midwest. The focus group was conducted by the tutor and students previously trained on dengue prevention and management. Students identified communicational gaps based on what was told by CHW as correct actions related to dengue control, allowing them to start developing action strategies. This approach not only contributed for continuing education of workers but also became a effective transdisciplinary and interprofessional education opportunity for the students involved in the process. CHWs believed their communication strategies about dengue are effective and affordable, however the students detected some communication failures and created opportunities to address these misconceptions. Students have already started developing their strategies based on knowledge acquired on public health and experienced practices in the medical school. We believe that this project also offers a great importance for the development of students’communication skills and increase their commitment and social accountability.