Communication in health practices: integrative literature review

Objectives: this study aims to describe the main thematic axes explored in the communication field in health practices in the scenarios of the Unified Health System (SUS). Method: integrative literature review conducted by means of search for articles in the databases Latin American Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS), International Literature on Health Sciences (MedLine), and Science Direct, using the descriptors: health communication or communication. A crossing of the descriptors communication and health education was provided. Results: four themes were constructed: 1) communication to establish relationships between health professionals and users; 2) (in) communication: barriers to the communicative act, 3) communication and health professional education; and 4) communicative health models: search for the dialogic model. Conclusion: by understanding dialogic communication, which must be observed in communication, the new requirements posed by the legalization of SUS have shown weaknesses of the single-line and vertical communication model and the need to provide health professionals, since the undergraduate course, with knowledge that enable dialogic communication practices. The challenge of reflective and participatory experiences in the various health care settings still remains, in order to promote a sharing of knowledge that leads to understanding between the interlocutors involved in the communicative act.