POPULAR HEALTH EDUCATION: AN ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE REPORT IN THE WAITING ROOM

Abstract

The Estratégia de Saúde da Família (Family Health Strategy) operates in the broad and integral care of users through actions of Equipes de Saúde da Família. When working with the perspective of health education, the ESF can develop health education activities aimed at promoting health among users, who become co-responsible for their care process. These activities conducted in the waiting room of the Unidade de Saúde da Família (USF - Family Health Unit) are important because users, while waiting for care, can express themselves and share their experiences. In this sense, this article aims to report the experience of medical students when conducting health education in the waiting room of a USF. This is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach to the experience report type, prepared after conducting health education in the waiting room with different subjects within the theme “Well-being and Health". There were many questions from users, among them:  complications of high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus; breast self-examination; breast and prostate changes suggestive of cancer; methods of protection against sexually transmitted infections. Furthermore, barriers such as lack of time or financial conditions were reported when the subject was the importance of physical activity to maintain health and well-being. Activities in the waiting room enhance knowledge of education and health promotion and promote humanized care with attention to the needs of users. Therefore, activities like these must be conducted to educate and raise awareness of the population.  This activity provided the medical students with the solidification of the contents taught in college, as well as the understanding of the relevance of health education in comprehensive care and the importance of exchanging knowledge with users.