Operative groups in Primary Health Care as a discussion and education practice: a review

Abstract Introduction: It is essential that health professionals learn about group phenomena, since its organization as a form of collective attention is increasing in health services. Thus, this study aimed to analyze, through a literature review, the results of educational activities in primary health care through the use of operative groups. Method: We conducted an electronic search in Medline, SciELO, LILACS and Web of Science, without restrictions of language and year of publication, the search was performed by two independent researches. Result: The search strategy returned 143 studies, however only ten studies were included. The health education groups in primary healthy care are efficient strategies when applied in different populations, opening a space to listening and informing. Additionally, objective measures show improvement in self-care, lifestyle, abandoning addictions, risk behavior, etc. Conclusion: The operative groups are included in primary health care as a practical and efficient process. All studies achieved positive results in the promotion, prevention and health education.