Avaliação das necessidades de saúde das pessoas com deficiência física em uma instituição de referência

Abstract

Introduction: A person with a disability is one who has a long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairment which, in interaction with some barrier, may hinder their effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. Individuals with physical disabilities can have numerous health needs, which can be influenced by various factors, including the type of disability, the patient's age group, the context in which they live and difficulties in accessing appropriate health services. Objective: assess the health needs of people with physical disabilities monitored by a reference institution. Method: cross-sectional, descriptive study with a quantitative approach carried out with 130 people with physical disabilities. Data were collected from July to December 2023, using two validated questionnaires that assessed sociodemographic characteristics and health needs. Descriptive and analytical statistics and R software were used to analyze the data. Results: There was a higher frequency of males 52.3%. Around 76.9% received care from health professionals, but 26.9% had access to health education activities and materials. Communication with health professionals was 82.3%, and 85.4% said that professionals are trained and sensitized to meet their needs. As for access to transportation to health services, 57.7% faced difficulties. The study highlighted positive points, but also gaps that need to be resolved in order to guarantee equal and quality access for people with physical disabilities. Conclusion: People with physical disabilities have access to public transport, difficulties in traveling to health institutions, need for health education and educational activities to contribute to guidance and self-care, access to adapted transport that allows them the right to equal conditions with the other people. The health needs of people with physical disabilities must be assessed as an essential step to ensuring equal access and excellence in health care for this population.