Implementação de indicadores para otimização do fluxo de atendimento dos pacientes de um serviço de radioterapia

Abstract

Radiotherapy services currently face significant challenges in terms of efficiency and capacity. The aim of this study was to optimize the flow of oncological patients in a radiother-apy service by implementing hospital indicators and management methodologies based on the literature to enhance service efficiency. The impact of the changes was evaluated by comparing the results before and after the interventions. The adopted methodology was grounded in the efficient management of patient flow through continuous analysis of service capacity and re-source optimization. Data on appointments and discharges were collected beforehand to plan annual goals and subsequently adjust the schedules of machines and staff. The operational ca-pacity of linear accelerators was analyzed using metrics such as occupancy rate, available slots, and no-show rates. Treatment distribution was organized by pathology type to improve effi-ciency. The schedule was reorganized, reducing wait times from 3 to 2 hours and enabling 72 weekly planning and tomography sessions. The implementation of hypofractionation reduced treatment times and increased the number of appointments. The 24% increase in treatments from 2022 to 2024 reflects the efficiency of the strategies implemented. Optimizing the flow also allowed for an increase in capacity, enabling the service to accommodate 313 new patients per month. The actions implemented optimized care at HAJ, aligning with goals and focusing on improving both flow and quality of service. This paradigm shifts enhanced efficiency and humanization, resulting in significant gains in operational efficiency and reduced waiting times. Preliminary analysis indicates positive impacts on operational capacity and service quality.