Rapid participatory appraisal: a territorial planning strategy for Primary Health Care

Abstract

Objective: To report the experience of applying the Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) as a planning tool in the assigned area of a Family Health team in a municipality in southern Brazil. Description of the experience: The experience involved four months of activities, including the collection of secondary demographic and epidemiological data, direct observation of the territory, interviews with key informants, and group discussions with workers. The information was systematized and resulted in the construction of an intervention matrix. Results: Weaknesses related to access to health services, low social participation, and the absence of community facilities, especially leisure spaces, were identified. The PRA also revealed tensions marked by territorial violence, which interfered with the team's schedule and movement. The intervention matrix allowed for the agreement of concrete actions, such as the creation of smoking cessation and physical activity groups, the reorganization of care schedules, the expansion of the team's presence in the territory, and the active participation of workers and residents in the Municipal Health Conference. The process strengthened the bond with the community and encouraged greater co-responsibility among local actors. Conclusions: The participation of the community and health professionals favored the collective construction of solutions and strengthening of bonds. The PRA proved to be an effective methodological tool for strategic planning, promoting social protagonism and interprofessional practices in the construction of movements and decision-making. However, difficulties were observed related to the management of time spent on executing the stages, the context of care pressure, in addition to challenges inherent to the violence in the territory.