Knowledge of primary health care health workers in Lempira and Francisco Morazán, 2010-2011

Abstract

This assessment analyzes knowledge on Social Participation, Intersectoral Collaboration and Family and Community Approach of the Primary Health Care Strategy PHC, held by human resources at Health Units (HU) with a centralized and decentralized management models at Lempira and Francisco Morazán departments, Honduras, during 2010-2011. It is a quantitative, transversal, comparative study developed in twenty-nine municipalities. Inclusion criteria were comparability of HUs in terms of more than one year functioning, 50% of permanent staff, and similar complexity level. A knowledge based survey was applied to 109 staff members of centralized HU's, and to 118 of decentralized ones: Physicians, Professional Nurses, Auxiliary Nurses, and Health Technicians. Results pointed out that decentralized HU's dedicate more staff members to Health Promotion; less than 50% identify values and principles of PHC, mainly Health Technicians; significant differences about PHC knowledge among different management models were not identified; however differences were found by profession held by health workers. PHC is conceived as a non-professional task.

Knowledge about Community Participation and Intersectoral Collaboration were significantly greater among Health Technicians. It was concluded that implanting the PHC Strategy remains a challenge in the health system; self-perception about fulfilling PHC does not correlate with demonstrated PHC knowledge. Greater development of interdisciplinary teams in the health system is strongly needed.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/rct.v0i12.1704

Revista Ciencia y Tecnología, No. 12, junio 2013: 74-88