Histórias paralelas: a linguagem audiovisual aplicada a divulgação de pesquisas em saúde

Abstract

Introduction: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative, irreversible, and limiting neuromuscular disease. Due to its rare condition and little knowledge of society, it is evident the relevance that the disclosure about this disease has for the promotion of research which can directly reflect on the health promotion of individuals living with ALS. Faced with the diversified possibilities of scientific divulgation, the audiovisual language, through the format of a web series for social media, emerges as a functional alternative given its digital and accessible characteristics. Objective: The present work has the main objective to document the experiences of individuals immersed in the reality of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis with the purpose of disseminating knowledge about the disease and transforming it into an audiovisual product, the web series. Method: The study applies an action research methodology integrated into the web series production processes, with a focus on different profiles related to the disease. These profiles include patients, family members, and healthcare professionals, denoted as profiles I, II, and III, respectively, representing diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and regions across Brazil. The participants were contacted, interviewed, and based on the content of these interviews, the thematic content for the eight episodes, which encompasses the challenges of coping with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and its main issues, was defined. Result: "Parallel Stories” is an educommunication product that portrays the impact of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in a humanized and transdisciplinary manner through the audiovisual language in the form of an eight-episode web series. Final considerations: The narratives of profiles II and III demonstrate that the lack of information and knowledge about the disease is one of the detrimental factors affecting the clinical condition, and educommunication strategies are essential for updating practices, introducing new forms of care, and maintaining the quality of life for individuals living with ALS.