Manejo de afecções dermatológicas por médicos da Atenção Primária à Saúde em uma região da Bahia

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the performance of physicians in providing care to patients with prevalent dermatological conditions in Primary Health Care (PHC) settings in municipalities of Bahia. It is a field research, qualitative and quantitative, with a descriptive and cross-sectional approach, involving 25 physicians from Family Health teams in the cities of Barrocas, Conceição do Coité, and Santaluz. Data collection occurred in two stages, using questionnaires on sociodemographic profile, closed opinion questions, as well as a questionnaire on basic dermatology knowledge. The instruments underwent tests for internal validity (Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega) and showed good consistency. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistical models. Results revealed that 72% of physicians consider dermatological demands very important in their daily PHC practice, and 84% believe that SUS users expect their assistance in resolving these issues. Although 88% feel confident in managing these demands and 72% rated their performance as good, 60% stated that the training received during their undergraduate studies on these topics was insufficient. Conversely, the average score on the basic dermatology knowledge test administered to participants was only 4.8 out of a total of 14 points, revealing a high error rate in sensitive topics relevant to PHC practice, such as leprosy and non-melanoma skin cancer. Despite a slight superiority in performance among physicians trained in public institutions, no statistically significant difference was found compared to those from private institutions, indicating potential gaps in dermatology education in both contexts. These findings suggest that medical training may not adequately contemplate the teaching of dermatology, impacting the ability of professionals to properly diagnose and treat dermatoses, which can lead to late diagnoses and increased morbidity and mortality. As a technical product of this research, a proposal for continuing education was elaborated aimed at training participants in the management of the main dermatoses found in their work process. It is hoped that the results of this study will foster discussion on the subject in spaces for training and formulation of public health policies.