title: The principles of the Brazilian Unified Health System, studied based on similitude analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to analyze and compare the incorporation of the ethical-doctrinal and organizational principles into the social representations of the Unified Health System (SUS) among health professionals.
  
  
  METHODS
  a study grounded in Social Representations Theory, undertaken with 125 subjects, in eight health institutions in Rio de Janeiro. The free word association technique was applied to the induction term "SUS", the words evoked being analyzed using the techniques of the Vergès matrix and similitude analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  it was identified that the professionals' social representations vary depending on their level of education, and that those with higher education represent a subgroup responsible for the process of representational change identified. This result was confirmed through similitude analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  a process of representational change is ongoing, in which it was ascertained that the professionals incorporated the principles of the SUS into their symbolic constructions. The similitude analysis was shown to be a fruitful technique for research in nursing.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, Faculdade de Enfermagem, Rio de JaneiroRJ, Brazil, Doctoral student, Faculdade de Enfermagem, Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Paula Munhen de
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Pontes
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, Faculdade de Enfermagem, Rio de JaneiroRJ, Brazil, PhD, Full Professor, Departamento de Fundamentos de Enfermagem, Faculdade de Enfermagem, Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Denize Cristina de
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, Faculdade de Enfermagem, Rio de JaneiroRJ, Brazil, PhD, Full Professor, Departamento de Enfermagem Médico-Cirúrgica, Faculdade de Enfermagem, Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio Marcos Tosoli
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gomes
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001938:Brazil; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans