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Open Access 01-12-2024 | Research

Surgical waiting lists and queue management in a Brazilian tertiary public hospital

Authors: Antonio Pazin-Filho, Maria Eulália Lessa do Valle Dallora, Tonicarlo Rodrigues Velasco, Roberto de Oliveira Cardoso dos Santos, Gustavo Jardim Volpe, Diego Marques Moroço, Danilo Arruda de Souza, Claudia Marques Canabrava, Luis Vicente Garcia, Edwaldo Edner Joviliano, Benedito Carlos Maciel

Published in: BMC Health Services Research | Issue 1/2024

Abstract

Background

Centralized management of queues helps to reduce the surgical waiting time in the publicly funded healthcare system, but this is not a reality in the Brazilian Unified Healthcare System (BUHS). We describe the implementation of the “Patients with Surgical Indication” (PSI) in a Brazilian public tertiary hospital, the impact on waiting time, and its use in rationing oncological surgeries during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Methods

Retrospective observational study of elective surgical requests (2016–2022) in a Brazilian general, public, tertiary university hospital. We recovered information regarding the inflows (indications), outflows and their reasons, the number of patients, and waiting time in queue.

Results

We enrolled 82,844 indications in the PSI (2016–2022). The waiting time (median and interquartile range) in days decreased from 98(48;168) in 2016 to 14(3;152) in 2022 (p < 0.01). The same occurred with the backlog that ranged from 6,884 in 2016 to 844 in 2022 (p < 001). During the Pandemic, there was a reduction in the number of non-oncological surgeries per month (95% confidence interval) of -10.9(-18.0;-3.8) during Phase I (January 2019-March 2020), maintenance in Phase II (April 2020-August 2021) 0.1(-10.0;10.4) and increment in Phase III (September 2021-December 2022) of 23.0(15.3;30.8). In the oncological conditions, these numbers were 0.6(-2.1;3.3) for Phase I, an increase of 3.2(0.7;5.6) in Phase II and 3.9(1,4;6,4) in Phase III.

Conclusion

Implementing a centralized list of surgical indications and developing queue management principles proved feasible, with effective rationing. It unprecedentedly demonstrated the decrease in the median waiting time in Brazil.

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Title: Surgical waiting lists and queue management in a Brazilian tertiary public hospital
Authors: Antonio Pazin-Filho
Maria Eulália Lessa do Valle Dallora
Tonicarlo Rodrigues Velasco
Roberto de Oliveira Cardoso dos Santos
Gustavo Jardim Volpe
Diego Marques Moroço
Danilo Arruda de Souza
Claudia Marques Canabrava
Luis Vicente Garcia
Edwaldo Edner Joviliano
Benedito Carlos Maciel
Publication date: 01-12-2024
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Health Services Research / Issue 1/2024
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6963
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-10735-4

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Surgical waiting lists and queue management in a Brazilian tertiary public hospital

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

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