The Use of Tomographs in Brazil’s National Health System: Case Study on the Efficiency of the Public Network in Rio Grande do Norte
Source: PubMed Central Open Access, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine
Abstract Background The evaluation of health technologies is fundamental to the sustainability of the Brazilian National Health System (SUS), especially in highly complex and costly procedures such as computed tomography (CT). Objective This study analyzed the financial efficiency of CT scanner use in the SUS in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil), considering the distribution of supply, the profile of providers, and the idle capacity of the public network. Methods A total of 49,061 CT scan requests registered in the state system “RegulaRN Ambulatorial” between October 2023 and January 2025 were examined. Subsequently, data cleaning and grouping were performed. Results The results indicated that 66.8% (24,769/37,089) of requests were from patients with cancer, 61.2% (22,703/37,089) were women, predominantly from municipalities with higher population densities, such as Natal and Mossoró, with an average waiting time of 44.86 (SD 88.43) days. More than 36,000 (99%) requests for the examinations were performed by private and philanthropic hospitals contracted by SUS, while public units with CT scanners accounted for less than 1% of production, evidencing significant underutilization. Conclusions The findings suggest that strategically shifting demand to the public health system can increase efficiency, reduce costs and waiting times, and promote greater equity in access, contributing empirical evidence for more rational public policies on the use of diagnostic technologies
Abstract
Abstract Background The evaluation of health technologies is fundamental to the sustainability of the Brazilian National Health System (SUS), especially in highly complex and costly procedures such as computed tomography (CT). Objective This study analyzed the financial efficiency of CT scanner use in the SUS in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil), considering the distribution of supply, the profile of providers, and the idle capacity of the public network. Methods A total of 49,061 CT scan requests registered in the state system “RegulaRN Ambulatorial” between October 2023 and January 2025 were examined. Subsequently, data cleaning and grouping were performed. Results The results indicated that 66.8% (24,769/37,089) of requests were from patients with cancer, 61.2% (22,703/37,089) were women, predominantly from municipalities with higher population densities, such as Natal and Mossoró, with an average waiting time of 44.86 (SD 88.43) days. More than 36,000 (99%) requests for the examinations were performed by private and philanthropic hospitals contracted by SUS, while public units with CT scanners accounted for less than 1% of production, evidencing significant underutilization. Conclusions The findings suggest that strategically shifting demand to the public health system can increase efficiency, reduce costs and waiting times, and promote greater equity in access, contributing empirical evidence for more rational public policies on the use of diagnostic technologies.