The study of prevalence of handicap and impairment as an instrument of planning activities concerning health and rehabilitation in Family Health Program

Abstract

The investiments in studies on the handicapped and impaired citizens in Latin America and Brazil are rather scarce. On these few occasions, there are multicentric studies about prevalence sponsored by Ministry of Health in 11 Brazilian cities, with methodology proposed by Panamerican Organization of Health (OPS). These studies, supported by the International Classification of Handicap, Impairment and Disadvantage (CIDID), present difficulties in their applications and in their action planning in nearby territories, since they are carried out by samples. The current article presents data based on experiences about the studies of prevalence of PSF/Zerbini Foundation in the southwest region of Sao Paulo, with the collect from credentialized families. The collect was made by health agents of family team community (such as doctor, nurse, nursing assistant) and team of rehabilitation (physiotherapist, speech therapist and occupational therapist ) of the studied territory, trying to set up in this way a relationship between the researcher and the related reality. The investigation itself has been used as an instrument by the professionals in the planning of preventive actions as well as in the health and rehabilitation assistance to population. As the general aim, the study intends to establish a complex diagnoses relating data about prevalence, about the characterization of territory and data about social exclusion of this population in order to plan action of intervention.