[Social criteria for selecting patients in emergency services].
OBJECTIVE
To identify the social first-year and senior undergraduate students of a healthcare management course used for selecting patients who need emergency medical care.


METHODS
A random sample of 64 first-year and 25 senior year students of a healthcare management course in São Paulo, Brazil, were studied. To collect data, a survey instrument was developed with nine hypothetical simulated case scenarios, including the social criteria involved in the patient selection process, such as age, sex, economical status, life-style, and social duty.


RESULTS
There were significant differences in the two groups concerning criteria such as the patient's life-style and economic status.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the respondents accept the inclusion of social criteria in the decision-making process in a situation of scarce resources.
de Carvalho Fortes
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PA
Departamento de Prática de Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. pacfusp@usp.br
Pavone Zoboli
E L
EL
Spinetti
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SR
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000191:economics; D004989:Ethics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D018579:Patient Selection; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors