Child health: establishing interdisciplinary communication and interprofessional relations

Abstract

The effectiveness of actions in the health field requires a teamwork that integrates different areas and different professionals. The professionals' education has not been sufficient to prepare them for a performance in the context of comprehensive health care and the necessary changes should start vocational training and within the academies. To integrate academic actions of health, was established at the Federal University of Pelotas the extension project "Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach strategies in social spaces"; coordinated by course faculty of Dentistry and involves academic of Medicine, Nutrition and Dentistry. With a view to act in multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary way, the group drafted and developed a research project aimed at addressing children's health, discussing each concept in an interprofessional and interdisciplinary way and selecting variables of interest of the three courses. This study aimed to describe the development strategy/research project execution linked to the extension and present the main results. The interprofessional group promote meetings and identified as common intent to three courses on child health, highlighting the major focus of their area. Definitions have been discussed about the growth and development of children, nutrition, diet and dental caries, as well as recommended measures for monitoring the patients. After this process of construction of knowledges, was drafted the research project. This was cross-sectional study with children aged four to six years of philanthropic institution of Pelotas/RS. Data were collected weight, height, characteristic of mucous membranes, decay and need for treatment, biofilm and gingival changes. Collection, typing, tabulation and analysis were carried out in an interdisciplinary way. Data were entered and validated dual form. They were evaluated 54 children, 27 boys and 27 girls. The interprofessional academic performance of data collection and interpretation of the results, assisted by teachers, allowed the construction of concepts during the elaboration of the project. It was concluded that these experiences should be common at university, because they stimulate students and teachers to participate actively in interdisciplinary logic. The biggest challenge was to understand the dynamics of interdisciplinary approach and apply it to teamwork. The major part of children presented adequate height and weight; without obesity; no abnormality in the mucous membrane; without gingival changes and without permanent caries teeth. The general health situation is controlled. Deserve attention children who exhibited more severe conditions. This interprofessional perception was an important strategy to minimize the fragmentation still exists health education.