INTEGRATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY PRACTICES IN PRIMARY CARE: CONTRIBUTIONS TO INTEGRALITY HEALTH CARE

Abstract

The integrality of health care is based on both the holistic view of man and the access to all levels of health care in the network of services, always coordinated by Primary Health Care. It is in this context that the National Policy on Integrative and Complementary Practices (NPICP) arises in the Unified Health System, in order to complement the care for the diverse demands and needs of individuals, operationalizing the principles of the Unified Health System (UHS), especially the doctrinal principle of integrality. This study aimed to review the literature on the operationalization of Integrative and Complementary Practices in Primary Health Care (PHC) in Brazil, demonstrating the benefits promoted as well as the difficulties in offering and performing these practices in the work process of health teams. This is a narrative review of the literature, which concluded that public investments in ICPs are insufficient for the existing demand, causing a repressed demand, as well as the lack of support from managers for implementation. As benefits, it is cited that, once implemented, the ICPs optimize health promotion actions and stress reduction, especially in people with chronic diseases. Thus, although the NPICP has been implemented since 2006, and there is consensus about the advantages of its offer, the service is not yet systematized, demanding investments and training of professionals for its realization.