A computerised information system for the analysis of hospital admission flow and characteristics

This paper presents a computerised information system for the characterisat ion and analysis of the hospital admission flow of patients. Based on admin istrative data made available by the Ministry of Health of Brazil (DATASUS- MS), the system allows the representation of patients' flow from residence to hospital, as well as information on performed medical procedures, diagno ses and other patient and hospital characteristics. Residences are represen ted in terms of their postal codes and admission diagnosis according to the ICD-10 classification. The system has a flexible and simple geographic coo rdinates input module, and can be used even when no standard coordinates sy stem (e.g., Mercator) are available. It provides two types of graphical rep resentation: 'static' (concerning characteristics of a hospital or geograph ical area) and 'dynamic' (residence to hospital flow). Its use is exemplifi ed with a geographical representation of access to ultra-sound exams in sel ected hospitals in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 1998. In conclu sion, the system seems a powerful instrument for health needs identificatio n and planning, as well as for quality assessment and for the generation of information useful for epidemiological research. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.