Does expanding primary healthcare improve hospital efficiency? Evidence from a panel analysis of avoidable hospitalisations in 5506 municipalities in Brazil, 2000-2014.

BACKGROUND: Hospitals account for the major share of health expenditure. Primary healthcare may improve efficiency at the hospital level by reducing avoidable admissions. We examined whether rapid expansion of primary healthcare in the context of Brazil's Family Health Strategy (FHS) was associated with a reduction in avoidable hospitalisations. METHODS: We constructed panel data for 5506 municipalities over 2000-2014. Our primary outcome was the rate of avoidable hospitalisations, defined with reference to the official list of ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC). The exposure variable was FHS coverage. We used first-difference models at the municipality level, controlling for municipality characteristics and confounding trends. We ran similar models for each of the 19 diseases in the list of ACSCs. FINDINGS: FHS coverage expanded from 14% to 64% of the population between 2000 and 2014. Over the same period, the rate of avoidable hospitalisations fell from 17 to 10 per 1000 population. Results from the econometric analysis show that the FHS at full coverage was associated with an increase of 0.6 (95% CI 0.3 to 0.9; p<0.001) in the rate of avoidable hospital admissions. Expansion of the FHS was associated with an increase of 866 (95% CI 762 to 970; p<0.001) in the rate of primary care consultations. The FHS was not significantly associated with a reduction in hospitalisations for any of the 19 conditions. CONCLUSIONS: While high-quality primary healthcare can deliver considerable health benefits to the population, it may not always be effective in addressing inefficiencies at the hospital level due to avoidable admissions

SISTEMA FINANCEIRO E CRESCIMENTO ECONÔMICO: UMA APLICAÇÃO DE REGRESSÃO QUANTÍLICA

This work has as objective to analyze the supposed existing positive relation between financial development and economic growth. The financial system influences the economic growth due to the functions that it plays, such as: ) the mobilization of resources; b) allocation of the resources in the space and the time; c) administration of the risk; d) selection and monitoration of firms; and e) production and spreading of information. It was applied technique of quantile regression to analyze these aspects for data of 77 countries, what it allowed a more complete mapping of the impact generated for the measures of financial development in the conditional distribution of the response varieble (measured of economic growth). The estimates allow us to conclude that: ) it has a positive relation between financial development and economic growth; and b) bigger the quantil (that is, greater the ratio of economic growth) bigger is the contribution of the financial system for the economic growth.

Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program : its contribution in view of WHO recommendations for provision of doctors

Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar se o Programa Mais Médicos (PMM) contemplou as recomendações da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) relacionadas ao aprimoramento da atração, do recrutamento e da retenção de profissionais de saúde em áreas remotas e rurais. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, qualitativo, baseado em análise documental, no intuito de comparar se as recomendações publicadas em 2010 pela OMS foram contempladas na Lei 12.871/13, que instituiu o PMM. Ao total, foram sistematizadas 16 recomendações da OMS, para as quais o PMM atendeu a 37,5%. Entre as recomendações não contempladas, encontram-se a ausência de programas de desenvolvimento da carreira e de medidas de reconhecimento público. Algumas recomendações que não foram atendidas pela PMM já estavam sendo desenvolvidas, tais como o Programa Nacional de Bolsa Permanência para estudantes de nível superior e a inserção de diferentes profissionais de saúde no SUS (Estratégia Saúde da Família). O programa apresenta fatores inovadores, como a mudança curricular do curso de medicina e o serviço médico obrigatório, entretanto, poderia ter feito mais investimentos na categoria de apoio pessoal e profissional.In order to examine whether Brazil's Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Programme (PMM) reflected World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations for improved attraction, retention and recruitment of health workers in remote and rural areas, this descriptive, qualitative study drew on document analysis in order to compare the WHO recommendations published in 2010 with Brazil's Law No. 12,871/13, which instituted the PMM. Of the 16 WHO recommendations systematised here, the PMM met 37.5%. Recommendations not incorporated into the PMM include career development programmes and public recognition strategies. Although reflecting WHO recommendations and already in place elsewhere in the SUS prior to announcement of the PMM, the National Retention Grant Programme and multi-professional teams (as in the Family Health Strategy) were not implemented by the PMM. The programme contains innovative components such as a new curriculum for medical schools and compulsory medical service. On the other hand, the PMM could have invested more in personal and professional support

Uncertainty in economic evaluation studies

Este artigo aponta três tipos de incerteza em avaliação econômica: metodológica, estrutural e paramétrica

Sistema financeiro e crescimento econômico: uma aplicação de regressão quantílica

This work has the objective to analyze the relationship between financial development and economic growth. The financial system influences the economic growth due to the functions that it plays, such as: a) the mobilization of resources; b) allocation of resources in the space and in the time; c) administration of risk; d) selection and monitoration of companies; and e) production and spreading of information. It was applied technique of quantile regression to analyze these aspects from data of 77 countries. This econometric method allows a more complete mapping of the impact generated from the measures of financial development throughout the conditional distribution of the response variable (measures of economic growth). The estimates allow concluding that: a) there is a positive relation between financial development and economic growth; and b) bigger the quantile (that is, greater the rate of economic growth), greater is the contribution of the financial system for the economic growth.Este trabalho tem o objetivo de analisar teórica e empiricamente a suposta relação positiva existente entre desenvolvimento financeiro e crescimento econômico. O sistema financeiro influencia o crescimento econômico devido às funções que este desempenha, tais como: a) mobilização de recursos; b) alocação dos recursos no espaço e no tempo; c) administração do risco; d) seleção e monitoração de empresas; e e) produção e divulgação de informação. Para analisar estes aspectos, aplicou-se a técnica de regressão quantílica, a partir de dados de 77 países, o que permitiu um mapeamento mais completo do impacto gerado pelas medidas de desenvolvimento financeiro na distribuição condicional da variável resposta (medidas de crescimento econômico). As estimativas obtidas permitem concluir que: a) há uma relação positiva entre desenvolvimento financeiro e crescimento econômico; e b) quanto maior o quantil (isto é, maior a taxa de crescimento econômico), maior é a contribuição do sistema financeiro para o crescimento econômico

How to use the evidence-informed Policy approach in public health?

A Política Informada por Evidência (PIE) surgiu para identificar as melhores estratégias disponíveis, nos aproximando do processo de tomada de decisão em políticas públicas. Contudo, para que ocorra, depende do acesso ao conhecimento, que deverá ser utilizado de forma transparente e sistemática. Assim, tem-se por objetivo apresentar como valer-se da PIE, mostrando os passos necessários para utilizá-la no processo de tomada de decisão em saúde pública. Foi realizada revisão de literatura em duas bases, sendo selecionados nove estudos, após leitura completa do texto. O artigo foi dividido em três grandes blocos, cada um contendo as principais perguntas a serem respondidas durante a elaboração de uma síntese de evidência.The Evidence-informed Policy (EIP) emerged to identify the best strategies available, bringing us closer to the decision-making process in public policy. However, for this to occur, it depends on access to knowledge, which should be used in a transparent and systematic way. Thus, the goal is to present how to use the EIP, showing the steps necessary to use it in the decision-making process in public health. Literature review was carried out in two databases, being selected nine studies, after full text reading. The article was divided into three large blocks, each containing the main questions to be answered during the elaboration of a synthesis of evidence

Consumption of alcoholic beverages in Brazil: estimation of prevalence ratios – 2013 and 2019

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of weekly, monthly and abusive alcohol consumption in Brazil in 2013 and 2019, compare the period estimates, and verify the magnitude of the differences. METHODS: Analysis of data on alcohol consumption in the adult population (18 years or older) from the National Health Survey (PNS), 2013 and 2019. The number of interviewees in 2013 was 60,202 and 88,531 in 2019. The samples were characterized according to demographic, socioeconomic, health, and alcohol consumption variables and differences in proportions in the period were compared using Pearson’s c2 test, with Rao-Scott approximation and a 5% significance level. Multivariate Poisson regression models were estimated for the outcome variables of monthly, weekly and abusive consumption of alcoholic beverages, in order to estimate the magnitude of the differences between the 2013 and 2019 PNS estimates, using the prevalence ratio (PR). Models were adjusted per sex and age group and stratified per sex and demographic region. RESULTS: There was a difference in the distribution of the population according to race, occupation, income, age group, marital status, and education. There was an increase in alcohol consumption for all outcome variables, with the exception of weekly consumption in males. The PR of weekly consumption was 1.02 (95%CI 1.014–1.026), and in females the PR was 1.05 (95%CI 1.04–1.06). The highest PRs in the general population and per sex occur for abusive consumption. The increase in weekly consumption per region occurred in the South, Southeast, and Central-West regions. CONCLUSIONS: Males are the main alcohol consumers in Brazil; the PRs for both males and females show that there was an increase in monthly, weekly and abusive consumption in the research period; it is noteworthy that females have increased their consumption pattern with greater intensity than males.OBJETIVOS: Estimar as prevalências de consumo de bebidas alcoólicas semanal, mensal e abusivo no Brasil em 2013 e 2019, comparar as estimativas do período e estimar a magnitude das diferenças. MÉTODOS: Análise dos dados do consumo de bebidas alcoólicas na população adulta (18 anos ou mais) da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS), 2013 e 2019. O número de entrevistados em 2013 foi de 60.202 e, em 2019, de 88.531. As amostras foram caracterizadas segundo variáveis demográficas, socioeconômicas, de saúde e de consumo de bebidas alcoólicas; e foram comparadas as diferenças de proporções no período, por meio do teste do c2 de Pearson, com aproximação de Rao-Scott e nível de significância de 5%. Foram estimados modelos multivariados de regressão de Poisson para as variáveis de desfecho de consumo mensal, semanal e abusivo de bebidas alcoólicas, com o intuito de estimar a magnitude das diferenças entre as estimativas da PNS 2013 e 2019, por meio da razão de prevalência (RP). Os modelos foram ajustados por sexo e faixa etária e estratificados por sexo e região demográfica. RESULTADOS: Houve diferença da distribuição da população segundo raça, ocupação, renda, faixa etária, estado civil e escolaridade. Houve aumento do consumo de álcool para todas as variáveis desfecho, com exceção do consumo semanal em homens. A razão de prevalência do consumo semanal foi de 1,02 (IC95% 1,014–1,026), nas mulheres a RP foi de 1,05 (IC95% 1,04–1,06). As maiores razões de prevalência na população geral e por sexo ocorrem para o consumo abusivo. O aumento do consumo semanal por região ocorreu no Sul, Sudeste e Centro-Oeste. CONCLUSÕES: O homem é o principal consumidor de álcool no Brasil, as razões de prevalência tanto em homens quanto em mulheres demonstram que houve aumento do consumo mensal, semanal e abusivo no período pesquisado, destaca-se que as mulheres têm aumentado o padrão de consumo com maior intensidade do que os homens

Guía para relato de estudios de evaluación econômica

O estudo apresenta um roteiro para relato de estudos de avaliação econômica