A 50 años del inicio de la fonoaudiología en Chile: experiencias y desafíos actuales en salud pública

74 MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE FROM A SPEECH AND AUDIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE Abstract The insertion of speech therapy in primary health care is still a challenge for the discipline. We analyze how participating in roles associated with health management may be an effective way to face this challenge. To this end, we present the experience of a speech therapist who is in charge of the social participation program in a Family Health Center located in Región Metropolitana, Chile. The results highlight the discipline’s contribution to fulfilling primary health care goals. This contribution can be achieved if the professionals are familiar with the territory, its population’s needs, and the challenges health facilities are committed to satisfying. From primary health centers, it is possible to take advantage of all the instances of social participation that exist in each commune to increase the visibility of the speech therapist’s work and its benefits to the community’s overall health. Keywords: health management, primary health care, social participation.