THE INTEGRATED CURRICULUM AND HEALTH EDUCATION IN BRAZIL: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract This study aims to analyze Brazilian scientific production on the incorporation of integrated curricula in undergraduate health courses in the country. It is an integrative literature review in two databases. The search resulted in 195 articles, which were reduced to 27 after analysis and were submitted to full reading. Regarding the conception of the IC, most of them point to a change in the theory-practice relationship in the teaching process, which often occurs through active learning methodologies. In addition, the studies report difficulties in fully implementing the IC, such as a lack of qualified teaching staff, bibliographic material and deficiencies in the physical structure of the institutions. It is concluded that the topic is still insufficiently addressed by the scientific community in the health area, despite the increase in the number of undergraduate courses since the 1990s, mainly due to the recommendation for change and adequacy of the teaching processes according to the National Curriculum Guidelines for the health area, adopted since 2001.