This paper presents the results from a bibliographic survey on the use of printed materials in healthcare education. The focus was on communication models, users' representations and the dynamics of content selection and assessment. An analysis was conducted on 11 articles surveyed in the Scielo database. In this analysis, the articles indicated that the communication was characterized by a linear model and impersonality. The receivers were considered to be mere consumers of scientific concepts. In most cases, health professionals were the only people responsible for the selection of content. In the articles surveyed, a conflict between their authors' perspective (dialogical) and the printed materials producers' perspective (unilinear) can be found.
Health education; Communication; Models of communication; Representations; Educational and promotional materials; Printed material
