THE DAILY ROUTINE OF PATIENTS IN TUBERCULOSIS TREATMENT IN BASIC HEALTH CARE UNITS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH

This study presents a phenomenological reflection on the daily care routine of patients in TB treatment. It aimed to understand the routine of treatment delivered at the primary health care service. Phenomenological interviews were carried out with patients infected with TB and health professionals at Primary Care Units in Belem, PA, Brazil. Reports were organized in units of meaning and analyzed according to Martin Heidegger's framework, Hermeneutics revealed that infected people fear the disease and its consequences, care is provided in an impersonal way, responsibility for the treatment is emphasized by professionals and assumed by patients, and professionals' behavior is predominantly based on the biomedical technical standard. We conclude that there is a gap between the treatment offered and the expected humanized treatment with a view to successful control of the disease.