A Method to Quantify Shortages of Medical Specialty Consultations in Public Hospitals

Abstract

Waiting lists constitute a complex problem for the Chilean healthcare system. Adequate distribution of scarce medical specialists is crucial to avoid increasing access inequities affecting users. Aim: a method is proposed to quantify and monitor shortages in medical consultations in public hospitals. Methods: official data on waiting lists and production of medical consultations in 2021 in four hospitals in Santiago, Chile, was consulted. The demand/offer ratio (r) was calculated to quantify the gap in specialty medical consultations. Results: 17 medical specialties that concentrated 70,7% of consultation demand in the four hospitals were considered. The average ratio was r=1,37, and the standard deviation was 0,55. The specialty with the greatest gap was adult cardiology (r=2,01), and the only specialty without a gap was child and adolescent psychiatry (r=0,88). The specialty with the greatest shortage difference between hospitals was dermatology, having the maximum ratio of r=3,02 and minimum of r=1,15. Conclusions: Important gaps existed in 2021. Differences between hospitals may constitute access inequities for users. The proposed method allows the evaluation of the available supply the attention needs of the population in the context of public hospital programming.