Public Health: How to Eliminate Waiting Lines and Solve Other Management Issues?

Public health services in Brazil include a range of institutions, such as military hospitals, facilities for public servants at municipal, state, and federal levels, university hospitals, among others, whether under direct management or not.

Long waiting lines, lack of supply control, and the absence of data monitoring are some of the main management issues that lead to financial and productivity losses.

In this material, you will gain a deeper understanding of these challenges and how technology is essential in solving public health management problems. Check out the content!

Public Health: How Does Care Work in the SUS?

Before addressing the main challenges faced in health services, it is important to highlight that all processes are guided by the Unified Health System (SUS).

This large institution organizes and defines the care standards to be used. As a result, some healthcare services have more resources than others. Below, we explain more about the different levels of complexity.

Classification of Care in the SUS

The classification of care in the SUS is based on the degree of complexity and is divided as follows:

• Primary Care: The entry point for citizens in public health, where care services and actions for health promotion, prevention, and recovery are provided. This includes medical consultations, vaccinations, and other first-line health procedures.

• Secondary Care: At this stage, the patient has already been diagnosed with a disease and needs specialized follow-up with consultations and routine exams.

• Tertiary Care: Serves patients with high-complexity conditions requiring hospitalization. Includes institutions offering care for more severe and complex cases, such as transplants and cancer treatments.

• Rehabilitation: rovided when a patient is discharged but still requires follow-up with a specialist, such as physical therapists.

Organization of Care Units in the SUS

Based on this classification, the SUS has defined which healthcare units handle each case:

• Health Posts: Units providing assistance to the population based on geographic area. Each neighborhood has its own health post, where consultations, vaccinations, administration of controlled medications, wound care, etc. are scheduled. Services are provided by mid-level professionals (nurses and nursing assistants). Health posts may have medical care, but it is not mandatory.

• Basic Health Unit (UBS): Larger care centers than health posts, offering support for primary and comprehensive care. Patients can be treated by specialist doctors and other healthcare professionals, such as dentists.

• Emergency Care Unit (UPA): 24-hour urgent and emergency care center. The UPA is equipped to handle medium and high-complexity cases, such as fractures and heart attacks. Priority is determined based on the severity of each case.

• Hospitals: Handle tertiary care, with more resources and professionals to treat critical, specific, or life-threatening cases. They also perform surgeries, childbirth, and other specialized treatments.

It is important to remember that, besides the units mentioned, other institutions also integrate the SUS, such as blood banks, laboratories, research institutes, public pharmacies, and the Mobile Emergency Care Service (SAMU).

Download the content: Best Practices for Hospital Administration.

Main Management Challenges in the Country’s Public Health System

Many public healthcare management problems can be solved through investment in technology. The lack of process automation hinders productivity and efficiency. Below, we explain some of these challenges:

Waiting Time

Long waiting lines for consultations, exams, and procedures are a common problem in the public health system. This can cause delays in diagnosis and treatment, leading to frustration among patients.

A study conducted by IPEC shows that among the five main public complaints, delays in medical appointments, exams, or surgeries are the most frequently mentioned, cited by 44% of respondents.

To address this issue, UPAs and PA in Joinville implemented an information system to monitor in real-time the clinical on-call schedule. As a result, waiting times were reduced by more than an hour and a half. A clear example of how technology contributes to the sector.

Lack of Hospital Beds

In some institutions, the number of beds is lower than recommended, while in others, available beds go unused.

Lack of maintenance and poor bed management negatively impact care services, room occupancy, and equipment use.

Resource Distribution Challenges

Institutions that lack control over resource usage tend to purchase more than necessary and waste materials. The same issue applies to medication. Poor monitoring of batches and expiration dates disrupts organization and storage.

Physical Storage of Documents

The amount of information a healthcare institution needs to store varies depending on its size. However, document volumes are always high, especially in long-established institutions.

As a result, institutions without automated systems require filing cabinets, rooms, or even warehouses to store patient records. According to the legislation in some countries, medical histories must be stored for at least 20 years.

Manual Processes and Rework

A patient visits a healthcare facility, undergoes an exam, and returns home. If symptoms persist, they return and repeat the same exams.

The lack of record-keeping and control over appointments and exams leads to frequent duplication of procedures, creating an inefficient workflow, increasing rework, and delaying patient treatment. With automatic monitoring, doctors can act more precisely and quickly.

Lack of Automated Scheduling Control

Without proper scheduling management, some professionals may be overburdened, while others may have gaps in their schedules. For patients, this delays care, not because professionals are unavailable, but because schedules are poorly planned.

How Technology Is Essential for Solving Management Problems

With technology, it is possible to reduce time between medical procedures, administrative tasks, and waiting lines. Additionally, this streamlines care services and eliminates unnecessary expenses, among other benefits that become evident within the first few months of implementing digital tools.

Below are some benefits of technology in public health management:

1. Efficient Process Control

In pharmacy management, digital control prevents waste and medication mix-ups, ensuring greater safety. The institution can monitor expiration dates and inventory levels, preventing newer medications from being distributed before older ones.

This improves storage conditions, avoiding losses or theft. With a digital system, data is recorded in real-time and updated as supplies are used.

2. Better Storage for Laboratory and Radiology Exams

An exam management system allows storing content on an online platform. The doctor issues the exam report, and the results are then released for online access. This way, the patient only needs to return to the facility for a follow-up consultation, without having to collect the exams in person.

3. Standardization and Automation of Medical Records

The Electronic Patient Record (EPR) eliminates issues such as inefficiency and lack of security, providing greater practicality to the process. The record is entered into the system, ensuring no risk of misinterpretation due to illegible handwriting.

All exams and reports stored in the system are synchronized with the patient’s record. Access can be quickly obtained from any mobile device. One only needs to search by name, document, or registration number, and the information will be available.

4. Better Appointment Scheduling Control

Institutions that provide a high number of consultations per month employ a large number of professionals from different specialties. Because of this, they need to manage schedules in a way that avoids confusion regarding dates and times.

By using a digital system, it is possible to distribute patients fairly based on the number of professionals available in the institution and their schedules.

5. Real-Time Hospital Bed Availability

A system enables the institution to have better control over available beds, the number of hospitalized patients, the procedures and exams that can be performed in that healthcare unit, and the specialties being provided.

In this sense, technology helps prevent care delays, as bed control informs how many patients can be accommodated, thus helping to reduce waiting lines.

6. Improved Queue Flow for Patient Care

Digital queue management systems organize consultations and procedures automatically based on priority and patient needs. This saves time and ensures greater accuracy in the process.

Want to Enhance Public Health Management at Your Institution?

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Our solutions serve hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and diagnostic imaging centers, covering management (HIS, CIS, RIS, and LIS) as well as diagnostic processes (PACS and Laboratory Interface), ensuring higher performance and high-level management in healthcare institutions.

The HIS/CIS software for hospitals and clinics, Pixeon Smart, is a comprehensive solution that integrates the entire institution into a single system. It is also certified with the highest level of digital maturity by SBIS (Brazilian Health Informatics Society).

We already serve more than 3,000 clients in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Colombia, with millions of patients assisted annually through our platforms.

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