(In)visibility of children with special health needs and their families in primary care

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objectives: to discuss the (in)visibility of children with special healthcare needs and their families in the Primary Health Care scenario. Methods: experience report about the difficulties faced by researchers from different regions of Brazil to locate children with special healthcare needs in the scope of primary care. Results: the main reason for these children and their families to be “unknown” and, therefore, not assisted in PHC, is the fact that they are followed-up by institutions/outpatient clinics and specialized and/or public rehabilitation clinics, or even because they have private health insurance. Final Considerations: transferring care responsibility to the Primary Health Care teams to specialized and rehabilitation institutions may be related to the lack of knowledge of the care demands of this group, as well as to the relevance of care centered on rehabilitation and the specialty instead of the long-term care, one of the features of primary health care.