Working practices and integration of primary health care doctors in remote rural areas in Brazil: a qualitative study

Health care challenges in remote rural municipalities (RRMs) emphasize the importance of primary health care (PHC) and require an expanded scope of practice. Doctors are key actors in this context. The aim of this study was to explore the level of integration of doctors in RRMs and working practices. We conducted a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with 46 PHC doctors working in 27 RRMs in Brazil. Content analysis was performed, resulting in the identification of categories of analysis grouped under three core dimensions: doctor training and experience; comprehensive care and timely access; and the community-based approach. Doctors working in RRMs were mainly recent graduates with limited experience who had undertaken their degree outside Brazil, and care was focused on the individual. The findings also revealed weak sociocultural adaptation and a harsh working environment and issues related to social status that reinforced prejudice against rurality and poverty. Practice was limited in scope and care tended to be oriented towards acute problems, disease-centered and focused on the biomedical model of medicine. Barriers to the delivery of comprehensive care include both structural constraints, such as poor facilities and centralization of services in administrative centers, and the lack of professional competencies necessary for PHC in these areas. The findings point to the need to promote an expanded scope of practice in PHC delivery in RRMs, with major public investment in the promotion of training and strengthening career pathways in these areas.