Tuberculosis active finding case in health units: Perception of health professional

INTRODUCTION:   More than half of the respiratory symptomatics (TB suspects) are missed to identification in the State of Sao Paulo.  As detection of respiratory symptomatics is done by health professionals, the success of this activity depends solely on them.
OBJECTIVE:  To gain knowledge on the perception of the Active TB case finding performed by health professionals.
METHODS:  The Collective Discourse (CD) was the methodology used, since it is designed to yield collective opinions from personal points of view. 31 health professionals were previously chosen to study area of Guarulhos.   The interviews were tape-recorded and processed stepwise:
1. KEY EXPRESSIONS: selection of most relevant response contents;
2. CENTRAL IDEAS: identification of response meanings of the expressed idea;
3. CATEGORIZATION:  assembling central ideas;
4. CD: bringing together key expressions from different statements of same category.  
RESULTS: The health professionals know how and when to conduct active case finding.  Most of them are concerned about persons coughing and set out an investigation. This is recognized as a good job, despite of steps involved but is also seen as a source of concerns to both, client and health worker.  The lack of personnel, motivation and interest, the excess of work, in addition to the lack of work routine and evaluation of the activity turn the active case finding into something difficult to accomplish at the health centers. 
 CONCLUSION:  These results reveal problems that are real and concrete, and provide guidance into possible interventions to improve the service quality at the health centers.