[Treatment of beneficiaries of the Chilean public health system with arrhythmias in a University Clinical Hospital].
BACKGROUND
The costs of medical care increase along with technological advances. Therefore, highly complex and expensive procedures should be performed in a limited number of institutions.


OBJECTIVE
To report the initial experience on electrophysiological studies performed to beneficiaries of a public health insurance system in Chile (FONASA).


METHODS
An agreement was reached between the Electrophysiology Unit of the Clinical Hospital of the Catholic University and FONASA, to perform electrophysiological studies at a minimal cost, that only considered disposable materials and hospital stay. Thirty patients with supraventricular arrhythmias or ventricular arrhythmias without an associated cardiopathy, were attended using this agreement at the unit.


RESULTS
In all treated patients, arrhythmias disappeared. Costs remained within the assigned budget, excepting occasional complementary tests.


CONCLUSIONS
This pioneering experience demonstrated that it is possible that public health insurance systems can buy complex and expensive procedures to private hospitals.
González
Rolando
R
Departamento de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. rgonzale@med.puc.ci
González
Rolando
R
Frangini
Patricia
P
Vergara
Ismael
I
Baeza
Mariana
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics; D002677:Chile; D004564:Electrocoagulation; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000191:economics; D017048:Health Care Costs; D016304:Hospitals, Private; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics*; D010865:Pilot Projects