First level care in action, a medical intern's perspective in Lima-Peru
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53732/rccsalud/2025.e7119Keywords:
perception, primary health care, internship and residencyAbstract
Introduction. Primary Health Care (PHC) is the most effective strategy for equitably improving the health of populations. However, its implementation faces challenges, especially in Latin American countries such as Peru. The perception of future medical professionals regarding this model is key to strengthening their training and adaptation to the health system. Objective. To evaluate the perception of medical interns regarding the primary health care model in Peru in 2025, identifying perceived strengths and weaknesses in accessibility, efficiency, and quality. Materials and Methods. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The population included human medicine interns. A sample size of 107 participants was calculated fusing the formula for descriptive proportion studies. A survey validated by the Latin American Federation of Scientific Societies of Medical Students was administered. Data were analyzed in Excel and SPSS v. 26 using descriptive statistics. Results. A total of 107 medical interns were surveyed, primarily rotating through MINSA facilities. Fifty-seven percent had a positive perception of primary care, compared to 43% with a negative perception, with slight variations depending on the Peruvian Integrated Health Networks Directorate or the type of facility. Conclusion. This study demonstrates the urgent need to strengthen medical training with a more primary care-oriented approach. It is recommended to include early care practices in primary care, strengthen training in family medicine, and highlight its strategic role.
References
World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). A vision for primary health care in the 21st century: towards universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals. Geneva: WHO; 2018. https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/primary-health-care
Sepúlveda Correa D, Montaña Vásquez JR, Vargas Guette ML. Comparación de los modelos de Atención Primaria en Salud desde un enfoque sanitario en Colombia y sus países fronterizos. Mov. cient. 2021;15(1):1-13. https://doi.org/10.33881/2011-7191.mct.15107
Quispe J. Percepción acerca de trabajar en atención primaria de salud en internos de medicina de la ciudad de Arequipa 2017 [tesis de grado]. Arequipa: Universidad Católica de Santa María; 2017. https://repositorio.ucsm.edu.pe/items/bc664add-7258-44c2-bf07-99f88e1a6bf2
Parada-Lezcano M, Parrao-Achavar F, Gurovich-Herrera J, Palacios-Saldiva J. Percepciones acerca de la formación en atención primaria de estudiantes de medicina: un estudio cualitativo. Investig educ médica. 2022;11(42):30–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.22201/fm.20075057e.2022.42.21400
Hernández Sampieri R, Fernández Collado C, Baptista Lucio P. Metodología de la investigación. 5.ª ed. México: McGraw‑Hill; 2014. 600 p. https://books.google.com.cu/books?id=oLbjoQEACAAJ
Huamán Zevallos CE. Percepción acerca de la atención primaria asociada a realizar una especialidad en estudiantes de medicina de la región Lambayeque [tesis de grado]. Lima: Universidad de San Martín de Porres; 2018. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12727/3222
Uceda Garnique RXS. Percepción sobre la atención primaria de salud de los estudiantes de medicina humana del primer y sexto año de dos universidades de la región de Lambayeque en el 2017 [tesis de pregrado]. Lima: Universidad de San Martín de Porres; 2019. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12727/4429
Rosales Anca Angielina E. Conocimientos y percepciones de los internos de medicina sobre atención primaria de salud con enfoque en salud familiar y comunitaria. An. Fac. med. 2018;79(1):98-99. http://dx.doi.org/10.15381/anales.v79i1.14601
Villanueva Zúñiga J. Expectativa profesional en estudiantes de medicina humana sobre trabajar en atención primaria de salud, Arequipa 2023 [Tesis de grado]. Arequipa (PE): Universidad Católica de Santa María; 2023. https://repositorio.ucsm.edu.pe/items/f61c85b6-0064-41e3-9c3a-27662da774da
Mayta-Tristán P, Mezones-Holguín E, Pereyra-Elías R, Montenegro-Idrogo JJ, Mejia CR, Dulanto-Pizzorni A, et al. Design and validation of a scale to assess Latin American medical students’ perception on the labour of the first level of health care. Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica. 2014;30(2):190-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.17843/rpmesp.2013.302.190
Fang Y, Soljak M, Tan SLL, Smith H. Medical students’ attitudes towards and views of general practice careers in Singapore: a cross‑sectional survey and qualitative analysis. BMC Med Educ. 2022;22:266. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03298-7
Pereyra-Elías R, Mayta-Tristán P, Montenegro-Idrogo JJ, Mejia CR, Abudinén AG, Azucas-Peralta R, et al.; Red-LIRHUS Group. Differences on Primary Care Labor Perceptions in Medical Students from 11 Latin American Countries. PLoS One. 2016;11(7):e0159147. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0159147
Puertas EB, Orellana RA, Muñoz BE, Jiménez JA, Medina Quiroz IG, Terrón L, et al. Factores que influyen en la elección de una carrera en atención primaria entre los estudiantes de medicina en América Central. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2020; 44:e94. https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2020.94
Deutsch T, Heine A, Lippmann S, Geier AK, Bauer A, Frese T. Medical students’ perspectives on earning opportunities of self-employed physicians — realistic and relevant for the process of career choice? BMC Med Educ. 2020;20:42. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-1950-y
Valladares-Garrido MJ, Quiñones-Villegas A, Sánchez-Quispe JM, Basurto-Ayala P, Inga-Berrospi F. Factores asociados a satisfacción en el primer nivel de atención en cuatro establecimientos de salud peruanos. Rev Cuerpo Med HNAAA. 2020;12(4):258-66. https://doi.org/10.35434/rcmhnaaa.2019.124.557
Ttito Quispe Ayme A, Ttito Quispe Daniel A. Factores asociados a la percepción sobre el primer nivel de atención en internos de medicina, transcurrido el internado médico en el marco de la emergencia sanitaria - Arequipa julio 2021-marzo 2022 [Tesis de grado]. Universidad Católica de Santa María. 2022. https://repositorio.ucsm.edu.pe/handle/20.500.12920/11769
Goodyear-Smith F, Bazemore A, Coffman M, Fortier R, Howe A, Kidd M, et al. Primary care research priorities in low- and middle-income countries. Ann Fam Med. 2019;17(1):31-5. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.2329
Medina-Ramírez SA, Puerta-Quispe EE. Percepciones en estudiantes de medicina sobre el primer nivel de atención en una universidad peruana [Tesis de grado]. Lima (PE): Universidad Peruana Unión; 2024. https://repositorio.upeu.edu.pe/items/0c244106-fba5-46d8-ad18-62a2a73ad671














All the contents of this journal are licensed under a