Knowledge and practices of primary health care professionals on the national policy of integrative and complementary practices

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62827/eb.v24i5.4092

Keywords:

Knowledge; Health Personnel; Complementary Therapies.

Abstract

Introduction: The National Policy on Integrative and Complementary Practices of the Unified Health System is a strategy to ensure comprehensive health care. Integrative and Complementary Health Practices play an important role in primary care, but they still require expanded provision and greater knowledge among healthcare professionals working within the network. Objective: Identified and described the healthcare professionals' knowledge and perceptions of Complementary Therapies. Methods: This cross-sectional, exploratory field study was conducted through interviews for data collection, configuring a quantitative study. The interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire, made available electronically or in hard copy, containing questions related to the sociodemographic and professional profile of the participants, as well as their knowledge and use of Complementary Therapies in practice. The study was conducted in Primary Care units in the interior of Minas Gerais, with 76 health professionals who make up the PHC teams. Results: Most professionals reported having knowledge of PICs (n=59) but had little or insufficient basic experience on the subject. Among the practices experienced by the interviewees, traditional Chinese medicine/acupuncture (n=25), herbal medicine (n=24), homeopathy (n=19), and aromatherapy (n=19) stand out. Conclusion: It is noteworthy that some health professionals report knowing and using Complementary Therapies in their Primary Care practices. However, the proportion of professionals who report insufficient knowledge about complementary therapies is still considerable, which limits their use in professional practice.

Author Biographies

  • João Paulo Assunção Borges, UFMS

    Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Pioneiros, MS, Brasil

  • Hugo Ribeiro Zanetti, IMEPAC

    IMEPAC Centro Universitário, Araguari, MG, Brasil

  • João Carlos Garcia da Silva, IMEPAC

    IMEPAC Centro Universitário, Araguari, MG, Brasil

  • Leandra Messias Correia, IMEPAC

    IMEPAC Centro Universitário, Araguari, MG, Brasil

References

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Published

2025-12-03

Issue

Section

Artigos originais

How to Cite

Knowledge and practices of primary health care professionals on the national policy of integrative and complementary practices. (2025). Enfermagem Brasil, 24(5), 2770-2783. https://doi.org/10.62827/eb.v24i5.4092

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