HEALTH EDUCATION IN BRAZILIAN TERRITORY IN THE TECHNICAL-SCIENTIFIC-INFORMATIONAL PERIOD
Permanent Health Education; Technical-Scientific-Informational Period; Information and communication technology; Territory; Brazil; AVASUS
Health Education is a process of professional training for the purpose of a continuous and updated practice of care in the service. In the technical-scientific-informational period, this process has been made possible in Brazil via Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), with the Brazilian Unified Health System's Virtual Learning Environment (AVASUS) being exemplary. In this context, the general objective of the research was limited to analyzing the Health Education process in the Brazilian territory, in the technical-scientific-informational period. From this central idea, the following specific objectives were listed: to highlight the normative trajectory of Health Education in Brazil; analyze Continuing Education in Health (EPS) in the context of ICTs, describe the configuration of the Brazilian territory in the light of socioeconomic and health care indicators; and evaluate the impacts of the training offered by AVASUS in the Health service in Brazil. As methodological procedures, bibliographical research was used on Health Education, EPS, technical-scientific-informational period, territory, computerization of the territory, internet, technique, network, ICT and Virtual Learning Environment (AVA). Documentary research was also used in sources such as: reports from national Health conferences; decrees, ordinances and websites of the Ministry of Health, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA), Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS), telegeography portal; and AVASUS platform. The field research was carried out through an online questionnaire available on that platform, aiming to assess the impacts of the formation of AVASUS in the Health Service in Brazil. The results revealed that Health Education in Brazil had its trajectory outlined in national conferences on the subject, whose discussions contributed to the elaboration of the National Policy on Permanent Health Education (PNEPS), among others. In the informational technical-scientific period, Health Education, promoted by PNEPS, is operationalized through ICTs, constituting an example, the training made possible by AVASUS. Despite Brazil's socioeconomic and healthcare heterogeneity, the training offered through this platform covers the entire national territory.