Continuing education in primary care: evaluation by health professionals with higher education degrees

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction: Continuing education (CE) is essential for professional improvement and for improving the quality of health services, which in this study refers to local professional training actions developed in Primary Health Care (PHC). Objective: To analyze the perception of physicians, nurses, and dentists regarding CE in PHC, identifying differences among professional categories and aspects related to the availability and quality of training activities. Methods: Cross-sectional, census-based, and analytical study. A previously validated questionnaire was used, adapted for online (Google Forms) and in-person (printed) application, administered to nurses, physicians, and dentists working in the public health service of Caucaia (CE), a municipality with a PHC structure representative of the national context. The dependent variable was the professional category, while the independent variables included sociodemographic factors (sex, age), academic training (type, time since graduation, and nature of the institution), postgraduate education (presence, type, and area), professional training (participation, type, and perceived contribution), and perception of municipal health education policies. Results: A total of 180 valid responses were obtained (response rate of 83.7%). Statistical analysis (Chi-square / Fisher’s exact test) showed significant associations between professional category and frequency of participation in training activities, with higher rates among nurses (69.7%), physicians (48.1%), and dentists (56.4%) (p=0.0340). Positive perceptions regarding the contribution of training also varied among categories (nurses = 47.2%; physicians = 25.0%; dentists = 66.7%; p < 0.0001), as did the evaluation of municipal CE actions (nurses = 41.6%; physicians = 17.3%; dentists = 69.2%; p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Nurses were the most frequent participants in training activities, while dentists evaluated them most positively. The findings reinforce the relevance of CE and of permanent educational strategies for improving the quality of primary care, providing insights for managers to adapt educational actions to the specific needs of each professional category.