Occupational therapy contributions and challenges in Family Health Support Center: a literature review

Introduction: In the recent years, occupational therapists are being included in Family Health Support Centers (NASF in Portuguese) with the goal of expanding the scope of Primary Care (AB in Protuguese) and case resolution. Objective: This study aims to discuss the contributions of occupational therapy to NASF based on experiences described in the literature. Method: We carried out a review of articles published between 2008 and 2014, in the three main Brazilian journals of occupational therapy, using the search term “NASF”. Results: We identified twenty articles of which seven were selected for analysis. The results showed that the actions of occupational therapists consist of home visits, organizing meetings with community groups and primary care teams, using as main methodologies the AB teams support and community-based rehabilitation. Challenges included the relationship between NASF and primary care teams, lack of professional knowledge, NASF operations and inadequate working conditions. The occupational therapist contributed to the continuing education and training in health, for the development of teamwork, and for the emancipation of people in the community. Conclusion: We conclude that occupational therapy contributes to the effectiveness of health actions in the context of primary care, supporting human and community development