[Analysis of hospital morbidity by motor vehicle accidents in public hospitals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]. / Análise da morbidade hospitalar por acidentes de trânsito em hospitais públicos do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

INTRODUCTION: Morbidity due to motor vehicle accidents was analysed in a descriptive study based on reports of hospitals with the objective to characterize their victims, types of injuries, and the health care provided. METHODS: The study was carried out in two municipal hospitals of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Motor vehicle accidents were defined as a run over, a collision, and "other traffic accidents". Data was collected from cases seen in May (Hospital 1) and June (Hospital 2) of 1996 by 7 teams that alternated in shifts of 12 hours, covering the collection 24 hours per day. The events were classified according to the victim or, when it was impossible, to the person who helped them or accompanied them to the hospital. RESULTS: In the study period, 320 cases were seen in Hospital 1 and 290 in Hospital 2. Most of the victims were men (69.3%) in both of hospitals and the most affected group was young adults between 20 to 39 years (60.5% in Hospital 1 and 47.5% in Hospital 2). Of all 610 cases, the main cause of injury was being run over (49.3%), followed by collisions (35.6%), and "other traffic accidents" (15.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of the cases distributions and the type of care required corroborates with the need of a better organization of hospital care teams, more completeness of hospital reports and emphasis on some aspects in prevention campaigns.

[Characterization of the cases of domestic violence against women assisted in 2 public hospitals of Rio de Janeiro]. / Caracterização dos casos de violência doméstica contra a mulher atendidos em dois hospitais públicos do Rio de Janeiro.

This paper aims at: (a) to analyze the distribution of the cases of domestic violence against women (adolescent and adult) in relation to emergency care due to external causes; (b) to characterize the victims and the rendered care; (c) to analyze the circumstances in which events happened. In methodological terms, it tries to articulate the quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study was developed in two public hospitals of reference placed in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Of the 72 assisted women, most referred to the husband, the partner or the boyfriend as the aggressor (69.4%) and were beaten (70.4%) especially on the face and on the head. The study comes to the conclusion that the health services should provide a good clinical care and promote prevention's actions.

[Evaluation of counseling activities: analysis of a person-centered prevention perspective]. / Avaliação das ações de aconselhamento. Análise de uma perspectiva de prevenção centrada na pessoa.

This paper evaluates STD/HIV/AIDS counseling activities provided by the Brazilian National Health Care System (SUS). The following institutional health services were assessed: four anonymous testing and counseling centers, one clinic specializing in treatment for people with HIV, and five STD clinics. All the above are recognized as training centers by the Brazilian Ministry of Health (National STD/AIDS Control Program). The data were collected from March to September 1997. The counseling activities from these health services was compared with guidelines developed by the National STD/AIDS Control Program using a qualitative evaluation methodology. The main categories analyzed were: a) approaching the patient; b) active listening; c) effective communication; d) risk assessment and discussion of alternatives for risk reduction; and e) orientation concerning clinical aspects and treatment (treatment compliance and improved quality of life). The paper concludes by suggesting changes to improve counseling.

[Evaluation of orientation and serological support centers in the Brazilian Northeast]. / Avaliação dos Centros de Orientação e Apoio Sorológico/CTA/Coas da Região Nordeste do Brasil.

This article presents the results of an evaluation of Orientation and Serological Support Centers, or Anonymous HIV Testing Centers, in the Northeast of Brazil. Methodological triangulation was used to evaluate these health programs and services, including qualitative and quantitative methodology and pointing to the insufficiency of single-discipline reasoning to encompass phenomena in social organizations. The article also shows results from this triangulation experience, seeking to combine Social Sciences and Epidemiology. It describes the structure and dynamics of these services, analyzes the relationships, perceptions, and representations of the actors, presents a self-evaluation by the professionals, expounds on some quantitative results, and discusses some limits and problems, as well as proposals to overcome them.

[Evaluation of outpatient care for people with HIV/AIDS in Rio de Janeiro, from the user's perspective]. / Avaliação da assistência ambulatorial a portadores de HIV/AIDS no Rio de Janeiro, segundo a visão de seus usuários.

This article analyzes perceptions by people with HIV/AIDS towards five specialized units under the State Health Department, Rio de Janeiro, concerning the care provided there. The research was based on both quantitative and qualitative methods. Data from 228 questionnaires and 19 semi-structured interviews were analyzed. The results generally indicated a positive evaluation on the part of this group of health care users. One conclusion was that the positive evaluation was actually related to the quality of the services available to them. However, users seem to have low expectations toward the level of services public clinics generally provide.

[Interdisciplinary efforts in public health: an area under construction]. / Interdisciplinaridade na saúde pública: um campo em construção.

This article, based on a literature review, aims to discuss the interdisciplinarity on Public Health (its needs, barriers for implementation and possibilities). Therefore, initially, the authors present a discuss on conceptual and historical terms, that explains the subject. In this part, it is discussed the process of inclusion and exclusion of interdisciplinarity on Public Health, as well as the different dimension of it. Subsequently it is related an interdisciplinary experience on Public Health. Finally, the authors concluded that the interdisciplinary is extremely necessary to Public Health due to the complexity of its object of study.