Discusiones Técnicas : Coordinación entre los servicios de atención médica de los ministerios de salud y de las instituciones de seguridad social : Documento de trabajo

Abstract

In preparation for the Technical Discussions held at the XVII Pan American Sanitary Conference, a preliminary survey was conducted to collect basic data, in order to provide participants with realistic information on the present situation. The cooperation of the Organization of American States was enlisted in order to carry out the survey. It was made clear from the outset that this was a national survey with the assistance of international organizations, and that its aim was solely to make an objective, preliminary analysis of the present situation and obtain basic information in order to undertake at a later date a thorough economic, demographic, and sociological study, the results of which would enable each country to evaluate its own problem and adopt its own solutions. Ten countries complied with the request of PAHO and OAS: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Mexico, and Venezuela. The results of the survey are given in the present study under the following headings: (1) availability of hospital beds; (2) utilization of hospital resources; (3) outpatient care (ambulatory and domiciliary); (4) ability of institutions to satisfy the demand; (5) coverage of the population; (6) quality of medical services; (7) cost of medical services; (8) attempts at coordination; (9) measures to improve coordination; and (10) the cost and sources of finance of