Health care experiences and their implications for intercultural professional training
Keywords:
border health; cultural competency; health education; health services; human migrationAbstract
Introduction: Health care in border and intercultural contexts poses challenges for health services and for the training of professionals capable of responding to diverse population needs.
Objective: To analyze health care experiences in a cross-border context and their implications for intercultural professional training.
Methods: A qualitative study was conducted, based on symbolic interactionism and narrative research. Twenty-four citizens living in border areas participated, selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Semi-structured interviews, validated by expert judgment, were applied. The information was processed through thematic analysis with the support of ATLAS.ti software. Ethical and rigor criteria for qualitative research were considered.
Results: The analysis identified two main categories: gradual interaction built from similarities and differences, and user-oriented health care in a context of continuous interaction. Participants gave meaning to border mobility through employment opportunities, cultural ties, search for services, perceived quality, technological availability, costs, and treatment received. The findings show training needs related to intercultural competence, communication with diverse users, and territorial understanding of health processes.
Conclusions: Health care experiences in border contexts show that professional training should incorporate intercultural, communicative, and territorial competencies. These elements are relevant to strengthening health education that is sensitive to sociocultural diversity and population mobility dynamics.
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