CARTOGRAPHY OF SPECIALIZED CARE BASED ON THE ANALYSIS OF KEY HEALTHCARE DEVICES: INTERSECTIONS, CHALLENGES, AND PROSPECTS BETWEEN BRAZIL AND ITALY.

• Grant number: 25/07681-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: August 04, 2025
• End date: August 03, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Rosemarie Andreazza
• Grantee: Camila Aleixo de Campos Avarca
• Supervisor: Ivo Quaranta
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Università di Bologna, Italy
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/06457-7 - Cartography of Specialized Care in the System Unified Health System (SUS): formulation, training and management in care networks, BP.PD

Abstract

This postdoctoral research project, affiliated with the Graduate Program in Public Health at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp) and intended to be conducted in collaboration with the University of Bologna, proposes an analysis of specialized healthcare (SHC), focusing on the organizational devices and strategies that structure specialized care within a networked approach. The study does not aim to provide a comparative analysis between Brazil and Italy but rather to deepen the understanding of SHC organization, seeking to identify its challenges, potentialities, and the different processes that constitute this dimension of healthcare. The research investigates the experience of the Emilia-Romagna Region, analyzing planning and management devices, as well as Community Hospitals, Territorial Nodes (Nodi Territoriali), SHC outpatient clinics, and Territorial Operational Centers (Centrali Operative Territoriali - COTs) and other devices that play a crucial role in integrating specialized care with Primary Healthcare (PHC) and hospital services.The investigation adopts cartography as a qualitative approach, supported by institutional analysis, employing document analysis, fieldwork, and interviews with managers and healthcare professionals, allowing for a processual reading of practices and care devices. This proposal aims to contribute to expanding the debate on the organization of SHC, exploring new perspectives for improving services and ensuring equitable access to healthcare, respecting the specificities of territories and care networks, as well as the singularities of individuals seeking healthcare services.