Educação a distância como estratégia para apoio à implementação de políticas públicas: a experiência do curso de Aperfeiçoamento em Envelhecimento e Saúde da Pessoa Idosa (EAD/ENSP/Fiocruz)

Permanent education is an important tool for implementation of health policies. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of improvement course in aging and health of the elderly person in the implementation of the National Elderly Health Policy (PNSPI), from the perception of health professionals graduating from the course. The description of the profile of the first graduates of the 1,561 the third offering of the course, as well as the analysis of the indicators of the health of the elderly at the municipal level were conducted with use of secondary databases. The profile description and analysis of the effectiveness of the course was done through the electronic self answered questionnaire during the period from July to October 2015, by 414 of the total of 1,561 graduates. The variable outcome to measure the effectiveness of the course was expressed as the improvement in the performance of professional graduates in at least October 5 activities related to health of older persons provided for in PNSPI. The clientele of the course was characterised by most women and training in nursing, though without his most concentrated in counties with more than 100,000 inhabitants. The health indicators of the elderly of the Pact of the basic attention, laminated stock and possession situation of graduates of the course, in the years from 2011 (Norte/Nordeste region) and 2014 (Sul/Sudeste/Centro-Oeste region) not show statistically significant difference between municipalities with or without graduated. Regarding the effectiveness of the course, the logistic regression model was able to estimate the probability of 61% of total classification. Variables retained in the final logistic regression model were: profession (social worker, physiotherapist or psychologist and be a doctor or nurse when compared to other professions); have more than five years of work on the health of the elderly; and the practical implementation of the course. The course proved to be an important strategy for the implementation of PNSPI.