Caracterização da regulação do acesso aos procedimentos ambulatoriais no município do Rio de Janeiro frente ao segundo ano da pandemia de COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted health systems around the world, requiring the restructuring of care routines and the adoption of various measures, such as the suspension of services, consultations and elective procedures. In the city of Rio de Janeiro, specifically, the challenge of facing this health crisis was added to old budget difficulties, inequalities in the supply and access to health services, as well as inconsistencies in the health regulation process. The present study sought to understand how the relationship between demand and supply behaved in the access to outpatient consultations and exams in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a descriptive study that used the SISREG Transparency database in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The findings indicate that, in general terms, there was an increase in the supply and reduction of queues and the average waiting time for access to specialized health services. The queue reduction was quite significant for transthoracic echocardiography, transvaginal ultrasound and upper digestive endoscopy exams. However, the specialties of ophthalmology, dentistry, gynecology, rheumatology and urology have procedures with longer average times to attend the population of Rio de Janeiro. Dental radiography, coloproctology and vascular surgery procedures showed the highest queue growth. It is necessary to monitor the pent-up demand, given the course of the pandemic, added to the high prevalence of chronic diseases, the deficit of resources and services and the new demands that present themselves for the post-COVID-19 recovery period in the coming years. It is necessary and urgente, however, to reorganize the pattern of supply and demand in the city of Rio de Janeiro, allowing cariocas access to health services in an equitable manner and adequate to their needs.