Trajectory of the search for care in the experience of a traumatic event that becomes chronic

Abstract

This study focuses on the search for care undertaken by the person who experiences a chronic condition. The trajectory showed the care needs, the health professionals sought, practices offered and the results obtained in the different components recommended for the emergency service. The objective was to understand the trajectory in the search for care of people and families experiencing a chronic condition caused by a traumatic event and the effectiveness of their right to healthcare. This was a qualitative study, developed through the method of case study. The corpus of analysis was gathered using the technique of life history, collected in an in-depth interview. The analysis revealed little effectiveness of healthcare services and delay in providing a specialized medical care. The course of the illness has changed from an acute event to a chronic one, due to inefficient healthcare. Given the fragility of care services offered, legal mediation was searched for, and access to healthcare services required by the person and family legally guaranteed. However, this mediation shows little effectiveness for its punctuality, when compared to the new healthcare needs that a chronic condition encompasses. Therefore, it is emphasized that these services have offered precarious care in face of the needs towards which they are directed, producing significant effects for people and families. Since professional practices are not innocuous, its low effectiveness interferes in the course of the illnesses and can make them responsible for its extension into a chronic state.