Integrative and complementary practices in the Public Health Care Network of Distrito Federal – Brazil

Abstract

The inclusion of Integrative and Complementary Practices (ICP) in the Brazilian Unified Health System (named SUS) refers to the hegemonic model of care
provision imposed by this system and, with the implementation of the National Policy of Integrative and Complementary Practices, there was an increase in offers and demands of these alternatives. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the supply and production of ICP in public assistance in the Distrito
Federal (DF)/Brazil - by collecting and analyzing data provided for in the Ambulatory Information System (named SIA-SUS) and in the National Registry
of Health Facilities platform regarding ICP according to the level of complexity and executing professionals after 2008. The total of PIC in the analyzed period
was 315405, which corresponded to 0.06% of the total procedures provided by SIA-SUS. The most common ICP was needle insertion acupuncture (49.49% of the total practices), the vast majority being performed by a medical professional.
Of the health services in SUS-DF, 177 offered any kind of PIC in October 2019 competency (9.50% of the total services linked to the context of outpatient care);
body-mind practices (shantala, massage, meditation, reflexotherapy, reiki and chiropractic) were the most commonly referred to as offered by these
establishments (81.92% of 177). There is a need to emphasize the importance of these therapeutic alternatives, expand studies and research to analyze their effectiveness, encourage such practices at all levels of public health care, and train professionals and managers with a view to enabling their execution in a qualified manner.