Care flows of moderate and severe burned patients in regions and health care networks of Minas Gerais

Abstract

Background

Burns, a problem of high incidence in the general population, reach people of all ages and social levels. Severity variation involves care at all levels of care. In 2000, the Brazilian Ministry of Health determined the organization of state burn centers specialized in the assistance of high complexity burns.

Objective

The configuration of care networks influences the health-disease process of the populations, organizes the flow of patients in the search for care, especially in the public system (SUS), reinforcing the logic of regionalized and hierarchical networks of care.

Method

This article mapped the flow of patients with severe burns under SUS, in the state of Minas Gerais, from January 2013 to December 2015.

Results

Ten macro-regions of health were not self-sufficient in the hospitalizations of their patients. The macro-region Center, city of Belo Horizonte, stood out as an important assistance network to the burned patient in the state. The North Macro-region was the best example of a network according to the SUS regionalization guidelines.

Conclusion

The study identified gaps in the distribution of assistance and pointed to the need for investments to create reference centers with equitable distribution in the state of Minas Gerais.

Keywords:
regional health planning; delivery of health care; geographic mapping