CONTINUING EDUCATION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS: ACTIVE METHODS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WORKSHOP PRACTICES MANUAL

Introduction and Objectives: Community Health Workers (CHW) are professionals who act as mediators between the community and the health team, contributing to the quality of care provided by the Family Health Strategy. Considering the importance of continuing education programs in the practice of CHW, it was built by students of health courses at the Federal University of Uberlândia, an extension project with CHW, looking through a teaching-learning process, the theoretical completion in relation to various topics of primary care, the exchange of knowledge between the agents and students and the impact of this improvement in the population of the ascribed territory. Methods: The project consists in workshops, carried out monthly in Family Basic Health Units (FBHUs) in Uberlândia, prepared by the students, using active methods, through problem-based education, emphasizing self-development and the construction of a less vertical knowledge, appreciating the daily experiences. Results and Conclusion: It was built with CHW, from the workshops developed during the project, a Workshop Practices Manual, which describes how to produce them according to the needs of each worker and his context. This manual aims to contribute with the process of continuing education process of CHW, valuing these workers, their knowledge and practice, and improving the work of the health team. The workshops held in Uberlandia enabled the CHW and students develop skills, reflect and deconstructing hardened views through intense exchange of information and experiences.