[Workplaces occupied by physiotherapists: less demand for primary care].

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Professions Education
• Physiotherapy

Background:

• The Unified Health System (SUS) promotes a biopsychosocial health model, necessitating changes in health professional training.
• The International Classification of Functionality, Disability and Health (ICF) supports a multidimensional approach to health.
• Historically, physiotherapy has been dominated by the biomedical model, limiting its engagement with primary care (PC).

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the distribution of physiotherapists across different healthcare levels in Brazil over a decade.
• To assess the representation of physiotherapy within primary care (PC) in Brazil.
• To understand the impact of the biomedical model's hegemony on physiotherapy's role in PC.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory, descriptive, and quantitative study design.
• Utilized secondary data from the National Register of Health Establishments in Brazil.
• Analyzed a 10-year interval of employment data for physiotherapists.

Main Results:

• Primary care (PC) constitutes a minority of employment settings for physiotherapists in Brazil.
• The findings indicate a concentration of physiotherapists in roles reinforcing the profession's traditional rehabilitation focus.
• The data reflects the persistent influence of the biomedical model within Brazilian physiotherapy.

Conclusions:

• Physiotherapy practice in Brazil is predominantly aligned with the biomedical model, with limited presence in primary care (PC).
• The current distribution of physiotherapists underscores the need for curriculum reform to embrace the biopsychosocial model and enhance PC integration.
• Shifting towards a biopsychosocial framework is crucial for expanding physiotherapy's role in comprehensive health care and PC.