Challenges of humanization in healthcare: a literature review

Abstract

This study presents a conceptual review on humanization in healthcare, with an emphasis on Brazilian
scientific production linked to the fields of medical humanities and public health. The objective is to critically
reflect on the challenges that permeate the implementation of humanization in the contemporary context.
A narrative review methodology was adopted, encompassing 16 articles published since 2003, when the
National Humanization Policy was established in Brazil, intensifying the debate on the topic. As a mode of
action, humanization is characterized by the construction of more symmetrical relationships among the
subjects involved in care and by the orientation of practices guided by welcoming, respect, and empathy.
However, its implementation in the daily routine of health services is challenged by several factors, including
the structural fragility of healthcare institutions, the persistent centrality of the biomedical model, and the
increasing incorporation of technologies in the relationships between professionals and users.