Challenges for the implementation of integrative and complementary practices in primary health care

Abstract

The present studyhad as objective to identify the main challenges and difficulties faced by health professionals for the implementation of Integrative and Complementary Practices in Primary Health Care. Trata-se de uma revisão tipo revisão integrativa da literatura realizada através das bases de referências bibliográficas: BVS and SCIELO, establishing as inclusion criteria: bibliographic references published from 2016 to 2021, studies that included the descriptors: Complementary therapies; Primary Health Care; and Integrativa Medicine; full texts, articles found in full, free in the databases and that feature Portuguese and English. And as exclusion criteria: incomplete texts that did not address the theme and articles that were repeated in the respective databases. Twelve studies were selected and analyzed according to the study design. The studies revealed 05 thematic categories: Lack of knowledge/training on the PICs by professionals; Lack of management support for the implementation of PICs in PHC, Lack of teaching PICs at undergraduate level, Insufficient financial resources and infrastructure and Fragility of teamwork, these being the main challenges for implementing PICs in PHC. The study shows that knowledge about PICS, by health professionals, is limited and deficient, which contributes to a deficit in their operationalization. Thus, the management of health services must be aware of the importance of implementing the PICs, the budget and financial definition for the implementation of the policy, the intersectoral articulation and the qualification of health professionals.