Teaching comprehensiveness in child health care within physical therapy programs: advances and challenges

Abstract

Introduction: The concept and practices of comprehensiveness in health care, a core principle of the Brazilian National Health System (SUS, Sistema Único de Saúde, commonly translated as Unified Health System) are central to the education of health professionals.  Objective: This study examines how comprehensiveness in child health care is taught in undergraduate physical therapy programs. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted with undergraduate physical therapy programs in Northeast Brazil. Data were collected through document analysis of course curricular documents and semi-structured interviews with faculty members responsible for teaching child health. The study involved three public undergraduate physical therapy programs in Northeast Brazil and interviews with nine female professors responsible for teaching child health care. The course documents demonstrated an emphasis on multiple levels of care, supporting the integration of comprehensiveness into the curriculum. According to the interviews, comprehensiveness was consistently valued and identified as a guiding principle of the SUS, particularly in relation to professional practice that considers the individual as a whole and promotes service integration. Conclusion: In the programs analyzed, the teaching of child health incorporated the concept of comprehensiveness into the education and training of future physical therapists, a principle recognized and valued by faculty.