Improvement Course in Child Development and Development for Primary Health Care Professionals

Abstract

An experience report on the creation of a child development and growth (GD) course for primary health care professionals (PHC), proposed to meet the demands of continuing education in areas far from major cities. The critical points of the theme generated from the construction of the groups through two guiding questions: 1.) Multiprofessional team: What needs to improve in the care of the child in the Primary Health Care Unit (PHC), and 2.) What are my challenges for the follow-up of the growth and development in the PHC, whose responses were analyzed using the strategic planning tool (5W3H). The target audience was 150 health professionals from the multiprofessional team including doctors, nurses, dentists, psychologists, nutritionists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, dental surgeons, and physical educators who worked in the health units of the region. From the analysis of the critical points, the following projects were proposed: a.) Survey about situational diagnosis and comprehensiveness of the unit about children and their families, b.) Training in physical examination of the child and evaluation of neuropsychomotor development, c.) Elaboration of a regional protocol for care of the child with care flow, and d.) Empowerment of community health agents on the importance of growth and development assessment.