The health needs of users and their interaction with primary care

Abstract

Objective: to understand the meaning of health needs in daily life for users of primary health care. Method: it is a qualitative research whose theoretical framework was symbolic interactionism, and the methodological one was the theory based on the data. 23 users of primary health care in the city of CoximMS were interviewed, from February to November 2018. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed, with the analysis concomitant with data collection. The duration of the interviews was, on average, one hour. Initially, the participants were randomly selected. During the analysis of the data, sample groups were created, with the purpose of increasing the variability of conceptions about the phenomenon. The data were analyzed using open, axial and selective coding. Results: the health needs of everyday life result from the interconnection of three subcategories, as follows: the first, called “self-care: taking care of what I could take care of” - self; the second, “relationships in society - interaction with the other”; and the last, "the relations with the space where one lives - the interaction with the environment". Conclusion: it was found that the needs of everyday life are not meant in an interactionist perspective, by users, as demands that can be taken care of in the services. Thus, as they distance themselves from biological demands, they are neglected by health professionals in primary care and reflect that comprehensive care still remains a challenge within the scope of the Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde-SUS).