Cost of providing doctors in remote and vulnerable areas: Programa Mais Médicos in Brazil
Rev Panam Salud Publica
; 42, mayo 2018
Article
in English
| PAHO-IRIS
| ID: phr-34972
Responsible library:
US1.1
ABSTRACT
[ABSTRACT]. Objective. To evaluate the Programa Mais Médicos (More Doctors Program; PMM) in Brazil by estimating the proportional increase in the number of doctors in participating municipalities and the program costs, stratified by cost component and funding source. Methods. Official data from the 2013 edition of Demografia Médica no Brasil (Medical Demography in Brazil) was used to estimate the number of doctors prior to PMM. The number of doctors at the end of the fourth PMM recruiting cycle (July 2014) was obtained from the Ministry of Health. Cost components were identified and estimated based on PMM legislation and guidelines. The participating municipalities were chosen based on four criteria, all related to vulnerability. Results. The PMM provided an additional 14 462 physicians to highly vulnerable, remote areas in 3 785 municipalities (68% of the total) and 34 Special Indigenous Sanitary Districts. There was a greater increase of physicians in the poorest regions (North and Northeast). The estimated annual cost of US$ 1.1 billion covered medical provision, continuing education, and supervision/mentoring. Funding was largely centralized at the federal level (92.6%). Conclusion. The cost of PMM is considered relatively moderate in comparison to its potential benefits for population health. The greater increase of doctors for the poorest and most vulnerable met the target of correcting imbalances in health worker distribution. The PMM experience in Brazil can contribute to the debate on reducing physician shortages.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
Databases of international organizations
Health context:
SDG3 - Target 3C: Increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce
/
Sustainable Health Agenda for the Americas
Health problem:
Authority and Accountability for Healthcare Workers
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Goal 4: Health financing
/
Goal 3 Human resources for health
Database:
PAHO-IRIS
Main subject:
Brazil
/
Costs and Cost Analysis
/
Delivery of Health Care
/
Health Care Economics and Organizations
/
Medically Underserved Area
Type of study:
Practice guideline
/
Health economic evaluation
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Prognostic study
Aspects:
Social determinants of health
Country/Region as subject:
South America
/
Brazil
Language:
English
Year:
2018
Document type:
Article