Policies of continuous education and health training: a documentary analysis

Abstract

In building the National Health System, health training and continuing education for professionals are regarded as instruments for the changes and transformations in society. Thus, we aimed to analyze scientific publications and documents of the Ministry of Health about the national policy for lifelong learning. This is a documentary analysis carried out from March to September 2011, with search held in the Ministry of Health publications. Eight documents were found, analyzed by cataloging in summary tables and content analysis. The National Policy on Permanent Health Education was established as one of the strategies of the National Health System to change aspects of training for health professionals. We concluded that despite the changing needs, the training of professionals proves to be a challenge because it sets up with the complexity of management, service and teaching with intergovernmental policies between Ministries of Health and Education.