Impact assessment of an automated drug-dispensing system in a tertiary hospital

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the costs and patient safety of a pilot implementation of an automated dispensing cabinet in a critical care unit of a private tertiary hospital in São Paulo/Brazil. METHODS: This study considered pre- (January-August 2013) and post- (October 2013-October 2014) intervention periods. We considered the time and cost of personnel, number of adverse events, audit adjustments to patient bills, and urgent requests and returns of medications to the central pharmacy. Costs were evaluated based on a 5-year analytical horizon and are reported in Brazilian Reals (R$) and US dollars (USD). RESULTS: The observed decrease in the mean number of events reported with regard to the automated drug-dispensing system between pre- and post-implementation periods was not significant. Importantly, the numbers are small, which limits the power of the mean comparative analysis between the two periods. A reduction in work time was observed among the nurses and administrative assistants, whereas pharmacist assistants showed an increased work load that resulted in an overall 6.5 hours of work saved/day and a reduction of R$ 33,598 (USD 14,444) during the first year. The initial investment (R$ 206,065; USD 88,592) would have been paid off in 5 years considering only personnel savings. Other findings included significant reductions of audit adjustments to patient hospital bills and urgent requests and returns of medications to the central pharmacy. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence of the positive impact of this technology on personnel time and costs and on other outcomes of interest is important for decision making by health managers.

Cirugía mínimamente invasiva en Venezuela: estado actual de la atención pública / Minimally invasive surgery in Venezuela: public attention current status

El propósito del trabajo es describir el estado actual de la cirugía mínimamente invasiva (CMI) en Venezuela, con el fin último de incentivar políticas públicas dirigidas a dotar a los hospitales del país con el recurso humano e instrumental necesarios para el desarrollo de procedimientos diagnósticos y terapéuticos destinado a solucionar el problema que representa el cupo quirúrgico en la población de menores recursos económicos. La metodología de investigación está guiada por el paradigma positivista lógico, de enfoque empirico análitico, de raíz epistémica positivista, utilizando lenguaje cuantitativo. Desde el punto de vista heurístico la información procede del Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Salud, Sociedad Venezolana de Cirugía, círculos quirúrgicos, bibliografía nacional e internacional. El estudio de la investigación de campo y del marco teórico referencial nos permite contextualizar el tema y generar conclusiones, así como recomendaciones acordes con el fenómeno de estudio

The purpose of the study is to describe the minimally invasive surgery current state in Venezuela with the last end of motivate public policies toward provide the country's hospitals with the human resource and the necessary instrumental for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in order to solve the problem of the surgical needs in the population with low economic resources. The research methodology is guide by the logic positivist paradigm, with the empirical analytic focus and using quantitative language. From the heuristic point of view the data comes from the popular health agency. Venezuelan surgical society, surgical circles, national and international bibliograpy. The field research study permits to contextualize the theme and generate preliminary considerations and also recommendations in concordance with the phenomenon in study

A dinâmica inovativa do subsistema de base mecânica, eletrônica e de materiais / The innovative dynamic of the mechanics, electronics and materials subsystem / La dinámica innovadora del subsistema de base mecánica, electrónica y de materiales

O subsistema de base mecânica, eletrônica e de materiais, um dos subsistemas do complexo produtivo da saúde, reúne diferentes atividades, usualmente agregadas na designada indústria de equipamentos e materiais médico-hospitalares e odontológicos, uma área estratégica para a saúde por representar uma fonte contínua de mudanças nas práticas assistenciais. Além de exercer influência na prestação de serviços de saúde, possui potencial de promover o adensamento do sistema nacional de inovação e de ampliar a competitividade da indústria como um todo, dado que articula tecnologias portadoras de futuro. Apesar do crescimento significativo dessa indústria no Brasil nos últimos anos, esses equipamentos e materiais têm apresentado um crescente déficit na balança comercial. Essa incompatibilidade entre as necessidades nacionais de saúde e a base produtiva e inovativa da indústria aponta fragilidades estruturais do subsistema. Utilizando o arcabouço da economia política, o objetivo do artigo foi discutir o desenvolvimento dessa indústria no Brasil e seus desafios.

The mechanics, electronics and materials subsystem, one of the subsystems of the health care productive complex, encompasses different activities, usually clustered in what is called the medical, hospital and dental equipment and materials industry. This is a strategic area for health care, since it represents a continuous source of changes in care practices, and influences the provision of health care services. It has, moreover, potential for promoting the progress of Brazil's system of innovation and for increasing the competitiveness of the industry as a whole, given that it articulates future technologies. Despite the significant growth of this industry in Brazil in recent years, such equipment and materials have been presenting a growing deficit in the balance of trade. This incompatibility between national health care needs and the productive and innovative basis of the industry points to structural fragilities in the system. Using the framework of political economy, the article aims to discuss the development of this industry in Brazil and its challenges.

OBJETIVO: El subsistema de base mecánica, electrónica y de materiales, uno de los subsistemas del complejo productivo de la salud, reúne diferentes actividades, usualmente agregadas en la designada industria de equipos y materiales médico-hospitalarios y odontológicos, un área estratégica para la salud por representar una fuente continua de cambios en las prácticas asistenciales. Además de ejercer influencia en la prestación de servicios de salud, posee potencial de promover la saturación del sistema nacional de innovación y de ampliar la competitividad de la industria como un todo, dado que articula tecnologías portadoras de futuro. A pesar del crecimiento significativo de esta industria en Brasil en los últimos años, los equipos y materiales han presentado un creciente déficit en la balanza comercial. Esta incompatibilidad entre las necesidades nacionales de salud y la base productiva e innovadora de la industria señalan fragilidades estructurales del subsistema. Utilizando el armazón de la economía política, el objetivo del artículo fue discutir el desarrollo de ésta industria en Brasil y sus desafíos.

Classificação ABC dos materiais: uma ferramenta gerencial de custos em enfermagem / Clasificación ABC de materiales: una herramienta gerencial de costos en enfermería / ABC supplies classification: a managment tool of costs in nursing

A implementação de sistemas que auxiliam no gerenciamento de custos é importante para a área de saúde, quando visa contenção de gastos e melhoria da qualidade do serviço. A classificação ABC dos materiais é uma estratégia aplicada para controle de gastos com estoque. A finalidade deste estudo é conhecer o perfil dos gastos com material de consumo do Hospital Universitário da Universidade de São Paulo no período de um ano. Trata-se de um estudo exploratório-descritivo com análise quantitativa dos dados. Dos 1938 materiais classificados, 67 itens foram Classe A, que correspondem aos materiais com maiores custos para o hospital. 31,3 por cento destes itens correspondem a materiais assistenciais, mais utilizados pela equipe de enfermagem.

The implementation of costs management systems has been extremely helpful to healthcare area owing to their efficacy in cutting expenditures as well as improving service quality. The ABC classification is an applied strategy to stocktaking and control. The research, which consists of an exploratory/descriptive quantitative analysis, has been carried out in order to identify, in a year time period, the demand for supplies at Universidade de Sao Paulo's Hospital. Of 1938 classified materials, 67 itens had been classified that they correspond to the materials with bigger costs for the hospital. 31,3 percent of these A-Class supplies catalogued items are the nursing materials, more used for the nursing team.

La implementación de los sistemas que auxilian en la gerencia de costos es importante para la área del servicio médico, por la contención de costos y mejoría de la calida de los servicios. La clasificación ABC de los materiales es una estrategia aplicada para el control de costos del inventario. La finalidad del trabajo es conocer el perfil de costos con materiales de consumo del Hospital Universitario de la Universidad de São Paulo en el periodo de uno año. Consiste en un análisis cuantitativo de exploratorio-descriptivo de los datos. De los 1938 materiales clasificados, 67 ítems fueron Classe A, que corresponden a los materiales de mayores costos para el hospital. 31.3 por ciento de los ítems corresponden a los materiales asistenciales, mas utilizados por el equipo de enfermera.

Perfiles de proyecto / Project profiles

Contiene diez perfiles de proyecto de inversión en equipos para que propicie la formación de redes de servicios de salud: 1. Repotenciamiento de las unidades de hemoterapia en los hospitales de salud; 2. Reequipamiento de los servicios de emergencia de los hospitales de Lima Metropolitana; 3. Implementación de servicios de oncología en los hospitales regionales del país; 4. Repotenciación de los hospitales de la zona de frontera: Tumbes, Jaen y Bagua; 5. Repotenciación de las salas de recién nacidos y cuidados intensivos neonatales de los hospitales del país; 6. Implementación de los servicios de odontología en los centros de salud de zonas rurales del Perú; 7. Equipamiento de las unidades de rehabilitación de los hospitales regionales del Perú; 8. Fortalecimiento de los servicios de laboratorio de los centros de salud del Perú; 9. Adquisición de hospitales móviles para situaciones de emergencia; 10. Desinfección del agua en poblaciones rurales en condiciones de alto riesgo

Comparison of costs for disposable and reusable syringes and needles in Siriraj Hospital.

The costs for disposable and re-usable syringes and needles were compared in Siriraj Hospital, in July 1988. Data were collected from all wards regarding number of items used or replaced. Labour costs for recycling re-usable items were estimated by close observation. The costs for disposable and re-usable syringes and needles were 498,039.50, 193,874.45, 69,410.00 and 27,366.95 baht respectively. It can be concluded that re-usable items cost only 36 per cent of disposable ones. It is evident that re-usable syringes and needles should be appropriate for hospitals in Thailand at present.