Economic and Financial Information for Hospital Decision-Makers in Portugal: Economic and Clinical Rationality

Abstract

Objectives: In this paper we present the state of the art of the research on the importance of the economic and financial information for hospital decion-makers, which we have begun to develop in a research project. Our objective is to evaluate the use of economic and financial information in the decision making process of health professionals and the compatibility of economic rationality with clinical rationality, in the Portuguese hospital context. Methods: As far as methodology is concerned structured questionnaires, integrated into a wider-ranging interviewing process, will be applied. First, we have selected Hospitals in three district capitals in the South of country, namely in Beja, Évora and Portalegre. In particular, we have chosen the same clinical service in each of them to carry out the analysis. Subsequently, we intend to extend the study to other hospitals in other regions of the country. Results: Although we still have no results, we expect that the results of this research will contribute on three levels: to the academic research community in general, and in Portugal in particular; to raise the professional community’s awareness of the use of financial information in its activity; and to help policy makers redefine the processes of communication of financial information in the Portuguese health sector. Conclusions: Our conclusions are related to the need to control of public expenditure on professionals, medicines, medical devices, complementary diagnostic and therapeutic resources, equipment and consumables, in particular in the health services. This issue has come to take on increasing importance in the concerns of the entire Health Portuguese System management structure. This structure has sought to sensitize the main executors of health policy – its professionals, physicians, nurses and diagnostic and therapeutic technicians – to the need to consider, in their actions and decisions, not only the expected benefits but also the expenses associated with them, considering that there are, almost always, different treatment options with similar effectiveness.