[Philanthropic hospitals and the operation of provider-owned health plans in Brazil].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the management performance of philanthropic hospitals that operate their own health plans, in comparison with philanthropic hospitals as a whole in Brazil.


METHODS
The managerial structures of philanthropic hospitals that operated their own health plans were compared with those seen in a representative group from the philanthropic hospital sector, in six dimensions: management and planning, economics and finance, human resources, technical services, logistics services and information technology. Data from a random sample of 69 hospitals within the philanthropic hospital sector and 94 philanthropic hospitals that operate their own health plans were evaluated. In both cases, only the hospitals with less than 599 beds were included.


RESULTS
The results identified for the hospitals that operate their own health plans were more positive in all the managerial dimensions compared. In particular, the economics and finance and information technology dimensions were highlighted, for which more than 50% of the hospitals that operated their own health plans presented almost all the conditions considered.


CONCLUSIONS
The philanthropic hospital sector is important in providing services to the Brazilian Health System (SUS). The challenges in maintaining and developing these hospitals impose the need to find alternatives. Stimulation of a public-private partnership in this segment, by means of operating provider-owned health plans or providing services to other health plans that work together with SUS, is a field that deserves more in-depth analysis.
Lima
Sheyla Maria Lemos
SM
Departamento de Administração e Planejamento em Saúde, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. slemos@ensp.fiocruz.br
Portela
Margareth C
MC
Ugá
Maria Alicia Dominguez
MA
Barbosa
Pedro Ribeiro
PR
Gerschman
Silvia
S
Vasconcellos
Miguel Murat
MM
D001938:Brazil; D002608:Charities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004865:Equipment and Supplies, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006739:Hospital Administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D017061:Prepaid Health Plans / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000078329:Workforce