Chronic diseases, chronic problems: agreements and disagreements with health services in therapeutic itineraries of rural men

Abstract

An analysis of the professional system of care is presented from therapeutic itineraries of men in situations of chronic illness. It is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory research held in a rural community, located in a town of the southern half of Rio Grande do Sul. To generate data, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, field diaries and non-participant observation were used, during the months of January to July 2011. As analysis technique, thematic analysis was used with data triangulation. The findings show different therapeutic itineraries drawn according to experienced chronic or acute disease. They also evidence issues that permeate the social constructions of masculinity and chronic problems of access to health services for the rural population. It was revealed over the therapeutic itineraries that the care required by the situation of chronic illness can impact on various interfaces of everyday life, making this experience a chronic problem that extrapolates the biological disease. For final comments, the need to mobilize efforts is pointed to improve the access and mainly to promote accessibility of rural men to health services. Moreover, it emphasizes the need to invest in actions and practices that work with issues that permeate masculinity and its relationship to health care, especially in experiencing a chronic disease, as well as mobilize efforts to promote professional attitudes more inclusive and humanized, enabling the male subjects feel owned to health areas.