Banca de DEFESA: MARCIA MARIA LIRA DE MESQUITA

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : MARCIA MARIA LIRA DE MESQUITA
DATE: 15/08/2026
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Google Meet
TITLE:

Information Barriers and Access to Health Services in University Teaching Clinics: A Study of Students at the CCS/UFRN

KEY WORDS:

Informational barriers. access to information. institutional communication. health services. teaching clinics. information management.

PAGES: 129
BIG AREA: Ciências Sociais Aplicadas
AREA: Ciência da Informação
SUMMARY:

This study investigates the informational barriers that hinder undergraduate students' access to and use of the health services provided by the teaching clinics of the Health Sciences Center at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (CCS/UFRN). It is based on the assumption that the mere institutional availability of these services does not ensure that students can locate, understand, and use the information required to access them. From this perspective, the research examines how fragmented information, the complexity of institutional communication channels, and deficiencies in communication processes may hinder students' awareness and use of these services, thereby affecting their well-being, academic persistence, and educational trajectory. The main objective was to analyze the informational barriers that hinder students' access to and use of the health services provided by the CCS/UFRN teaching clinics in order to support the improvement of institutional communication strategies. Specifically, it sought to map the available health services and institutional communication channels; analyze students' perceptions regarding the effectiveness of communication about these services; identify the main barriers to information access; propose recommendations for improving institutional communication strategies; and develop an informational catalog of the health services offered by the CCS/UFRN teaching clinics. Methodologically, this is an applied, descriptive study adopting a mixed-methods approach. The quantitative stage consisted of administering a structured questionnaire to CCS/UFRN undergraduate students, and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The qualitative stage involved documentary analysis of institutional materials from the teaching clinics and the modeling of information flows using Bizagi Modeler software. The findings revealed limited awareness and low utilization of the available health services among students, associated with fragmented information, dispersed communication channels, insufficient institutional dissemination, difficulties in locating information, and the absence of centralized information resources. Documentary analysis also revealed weaknesses in the organization of information processes, including the lack of formal regulatory documents in some units, reliance on interpersonal mediation, decentralized information management, and insufficient integration among institutional communication channels. These factors contribute to the persistence of the informational barriers identified in the quantitative stage. As a technical product, an informational catalog was developed to organize and centralize information about the health services provided by the teaching clinics, aiming to increase the visibility of these services and facilitate students' access to them. The study concludes that reducing informational barriers requires integrated actions in information management and institutional communication, including the standardization of information flows, the improvement of communication channels, and the systematic organization of institutional information.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 3636721 - DANIEL DE ARAUJO MARTINS
Interno - 2764063 - FRANCISCO DE ASSIS NOBERTO GALDINO DE ARAUJO
Externo à Instituição - PAULO RICARDO SILVA LIMA
Interno - 3499145 - POLICARPO CAMILO SILVESTRE MATIQUITE