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Este artigo teve como objetivo principal verificar até que ponto a utilização de protocolos de atendimento médico-hospitalar pode promover um incremento na qualidade dos serviços prestados via padronização de processos, no mesmo tempo em que propicia uma redução nos custos diretamente relacionados aos procedimentos protocolados. O estudo em tela ocorreu na Unidade de Ortopedia e Traumatologia do Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, e se refere ao procedimento de artroplastia de joelho ou colocação de prótese no joelho. Dados foram coletados durante os anos de 2004 e 2005 sobre indicadores de qualidade e sobre os custos diretos da cirurgia e da internação referentes a 89 pacientes que se submeteram ao procedimento sob estudo. A pesquisa foi realizada em dois momentos distintos: antes e após a implantação do protocolo que envolveu todo o processo médicohospitalar desde o seu atendimento inicial no ambulatório até sua alta do hospital. Por meio da análise dos dados ficou evidenciado que o protocolo implantado promoveu uma redução no tempo médio de espera para a realização da cirurgia da ordem de 3 dias, permitiu a diminuição de 7 dias na permanência total dos pacientes, reduziu em cerca de 20 minutos o tempo médio de duração da cirurgia. Todavia, não se conseguiu reduzir de maneira significativa os custos diretos de consumo, mas proporcionou uma queda em todos os custos diretos vinculadas à internação.This paper aims to verify to which extent the use of a medical-hospital treatment protocol can promote quality improvement in the services provided by means of process standardization, while at the same time reducing surgical and inpatient costs directly related to the procedure under protocol. The study took place at the Orthopedics Department of the Hospital das Clínicas at the Federal University of Pernambuco and referred to a knee arthroplasty or prosthetic knee replacement procedure. Data was collected during the period from 2004 to 2005 regarding quality indicators and direct surgical and inpatient costs for 89 patients submitted to the procedure under observation. The study looked at two distinct time periods: before and after the implementation of the protocol that involved the entire medical and administrative processes, ranging from the initial contact of the patient at the outpatient service up to the surgery and discharge from the hospital ward. Statistical data analysis made it evident that the protocol implemented at the hospital promoted a reduction in the mean waiting period of three days from time of admission to surgery, of seven days in the overall length of the patient' stay, a mean reduction of 20 minutes in the time of surgery, although no significant cost reduction in the materials consumed during the surgery itself was observed. It also proportioned a reduction in all direct cost categories related to the inpatient period.

This paper aims to verify to which extent the use of a medical-hospital treatment protocol can promote quality improvement in the services provided by means of process standardization, while at the same time reducing surgical and inpatient costs directly related to the procedure under protocol. The study took place at the Orthopedics Department of the Hospital das Clínicas at the Federal University of Pernambuco and referred to a knee arthroplasty or prosthetic knee replacement procedure. Data was collected during the period from 2004 to 2005 regarding quality indicators and direct surgical and inpatient costs for 89 patients submitted to the procedure under observation. The study looked at two distinct time periods: before and after the implementation of the protocol that involved the entire medical and administrative processes, ranging from the initial contact of the patient at the outpatient service up to the surgery and discharge from the hospital ward. Statistical data analysis made it evident that the protocol implemented at the hospital promoted a reduction in the mean waiting period of three days from time of admission to surgery, of seven days in the overall length of the patient' stay, a mean reduction of 20 minutes in the time of surgery, although no signifi cant cost reduction in the materials consumed during the surgery itself was observed. It also proportioned a reduction in all direct cost categories related to the inpatient period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]