Access and continuity of care in the search for health care: weaving the network between encounters and entanglements

Abstract

This article seeks to analyze the access and continuity of care in women's care trajectories through the identification of the main points of support in the health care network. This is a qualitative research, carried out in a health region of Rio de Janeiro, based on a semi-structured interview with 21 women to produce their care trajectories. The data were treated through content analysis and categorized into four thematic units: community health agents, identified as the first contact and facilitators of access to the network; nursing professionals, with whom the strongest longitudinal bonds and some possibility of continuity of care were established; the doctor, who represented the expectation of a cure, but where ties and communication with users were more fragile; and other points of support, represented by intermediate actors (friends, family, political figures and others) present at times as support, at times as facilitators of access to timely care. The mosaic of trajectories produced by women in the health care network indicated weaknesses to guarantee access and continuity of care, but also potencies to produce interventions and practices that respond to health wants and needs.

Keywords:
continuity of patient care; health care delivery; health care accessibility; professional-patient relations