Learning needs assessment of multidisciplinary primary health care teams

Resumo

Introdução: The rich literature available on the tackling of chronic conditions in Primary Health Care indicates the development of a set of practice changes and a major part of it is related to continuing education of the teams. Dealing with chronic conditions demands interdisciplinary teamwork. How can the learning needs of multidisciplinary teams be identified?

Objetivos: To match educational activities to the learning needs of multidisciplinary teams, identifying topics common to the whole team, as well as topics specific to each professional category.

Metodologia ou Descrição da Experiência: Learning needs assessment was conducted combining three approaches: - Identifying learning needs according to health teams, through completion of an individual questionnaire identifying professional category, and asking one open question: “Concerning the care of people with hypertension and diabetes, what are your needs and what are your expectations about the learning process to be developed?” - Interviewing service managers: “What are health teams’ learning needs …?” - Considering researchers´ assumptions, based on (a) morbidity indicators (b) literature about the tackling of chronic diseases.

Resultados: Learning needs of health teams: approximately 80% of 311 providers replied, yielding 637 answers, which were grouped into 11 themes. A high proportion of professionals from all categories participated. The results will be presented by professionals’ categories as well as by the entire team. I need to learn more on... : “clinical updating/clinical issues” ; “health promotion and disease prevention practice”; “patient compliance” ; Teamwork - enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration; core competencies, occupation-specific competencies. The Managers and Researchers team learning needs identification are presented and compared with team’s answers.

Conclusão ou Hipóteses: A simple, quick, and low-cost research identified teaching-learning needs revealing topics specifics by professional categories and topics that are commons for the whole health team. The three approaches used in the evaluation design make the results more comprehensive. Essential for planning and execution of permanent education activities.