Implementation of procedures by the Mobile Emergency Care Service (SAMU 192) in Brazil: performance, benchmarking, and challenges

Abstract

The scope of this article is to describe and analyze the production of approved procedures carried out by regulation centers and mobile resources of SAMU 192 between 2015 and 2019, according to frequency, population-based indicators, and daily productivity, to establish a performance indicator. It consisted of an observational and descriptive census study, with production data drawn from the Outpatient Information System, and population data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and information from the Ministry of Health. The 116.8 million procedures analyzed resulted from a 28.5% increase in the period, while the population covered and mobile resources grew by 9.7% and 14.4%, respectively. Every 1,000 inhabitants covered generated 109.8 calls, resulting in 24.0 mobile resource dispatches per year. Basic support units performed 3.3 consultations, and 0.5 transfers daily, while advanced support performed 2.7 consultations and 0.9 transfers. The production of procedures exceeded the increase in the population covered, with variations between states, high incidence in populated areas, a strong presence of basic support and an increase in transfers, although national productivity was seen to be lower than international productivity.

Key words:
Emergency Medical Services; Health Information Systems; Benchmarking; Health Policy; Ambulances