Self Care Assisted In People With Tuberculosis Treatment

Introduction: In supported self-care, health professionals encourage individuals to take care of themselves from the adoption of healthy habits. In the case of patients with TB, self-care is important because it can contribute to the reduction of treatment abandonment. Objective: To analyze self-care in treating people with tuberculosis assisted in health facilities of primary care and compare the scores of self-care supported by the type of service and the professional health function. Method: a Cross-sectional study in a city in northeastern Brazil, with 100 professionals (nurses, nursing technicians, medical and health community agents) working in the health units of primary care. Data collection was conducted from November 2013 to January 2014, using a structured questionnaire proposed by MacCooll Institute for Health Care Innovation, specifically the area of supported self-care. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for the analysis. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee, by the protocol: 456,332. Results: the four items of supported self-care were identified (support, records, reception and behavior change interventions), most of the health facilities, a reasonable capacity of attention to people with TB. When it was assessed among professionals and the types of units, it was also rated with a reasonable capacity, statistical difference. Conclusion: it was found that the self-care supported practiced by primary health care professionals is effective in helping the individuals with tuberculosis, having in view the homogeneity found in capacity classified as reasonable between the various units of the municipality, the types of unit and the categories of professionals.