[Teaching-assistance integration: bases for a developmental proposal. Peru].

In formulating general policy guidelines for the health sector, it is theoretically necessary to redefine the place and the functions of institutional components, and to visualize the need and the possibility of an organized population as the principal subject of the teaching assistance process; giving thus reality to the concept of integration of teaching-service-community. The integration of teaching assistance is thus envisaged as a combined effort of the community, university and health services. It is a social process in the overall development of society. It can also be viewed as a political process for the gradual building of linkages among three organizational structures that address health problems. In relation to the development of the process, the article enumerates its objectives and describes the organization of service units; the types of services provided (preventive, related to health promotion, curative, and rehabilitative); the organization of instruction; teaching-learning activities; research; and measures for integrated community development. Finally, the author mentions the scope of programs for the integration of teaching assistance (namely the community and first-level services) and describes the components of that integration in the present context.