Resumen

RINCON G, Ángel Gabriel; MORALES, Oscar Alberto  y  TONA ROMERO, José. La promoción de la lectura en consultorios odontológicos y médicos. Acta odontol. venez [online]. 2007, vol.45, n.2, pp.244-249. ISSN 0001-6365.

The alternatives of reading in the waiting rooms of the doctor's offices, both dentistry and medical centers, go from old newspapers to especialized magazines and Journals of the different branches of Medicine. The purpose of this study is to describe and to analyze the activities of promotion of reading that are carried in dentistry and medical centers in Mérida city. It implies to know: Are they spontaneous or programmed, formal or informal?, who takes part of it?, and what is the purpose of it? The information was collected using interviews and observation. The results indicate that the patients are interested in reading while they wait to be attended in the doctor's offices. Both patients and accompanists ask for texts to read. It was found that the promotion of health by reading constitutes a useful and important tool in order to create a comfortable and less tense experience in the doctors’ offices and offers a potential opportunity to produce new readers.

Palabras clave : Reading; promotion of reading; promotion of health; medical centers; dentistry centers.