Training of occupational therapists for Primary Health Care (PHC): contributions to the debate

Herein presented are the topics debated at the research group meeting on Training of Occupational Therapists for Primary Health Care (PHC) that took place during the First National Seminar on Occupational Therapy in PHC, at the XII Brazilian Congress and IX Latin American Congress of Occupational Therapy in October 2011 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In addition, the field of vocational training for PHC is situated within the context of the Unified Health System (UHS) and its importance for the training of occupational therapists. We present relevant aspects of specific National Curriculum Guidelines suggested for the professional training at this level of care, which have also been addressed by the Reorientation of Vocational Training in Health Policy (PRO Health). Experiences gained by the authors' educational institutions when training at this level of care are also presented. It was possible to conclude that undergraduate studies at this level of care enables students and teachers to come into close contact with health demands and needs, health-disease process and its determinants. within a scenario closer to the everyday life of the people being cared and the service they receive. The teaching of Occupational Therapy (OT) at PHC further allows the debate of its contributions in promoting health and preventing disease, early diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, which may facilitate the access to populations previously not considered priority by the PHC. This seminar was important for discussing the challenges of linking the OT profession to the UHS.