Morbilidad observada en un área sanitaria: variabilidad e impacto en profesionales y en financiación

OBJECTIVE: To analyze morbidity, in the context of a health area, and broken down by health centre, of patients who made contact with healthcare services, in order to propose an adjustment to finance the payment per capita. DESIGN: A descriptive study of morbidity observed in citizens assigned a health area during year 2010. SITE: Health Area 9. Autonomous Community of Madrid. Formed by the municipalities of Fuenlabrada, Humanes, and Moraleja de Enmedio. All levels of health care included. PARTICIPANTS: All citizens with health card assigned to a health center in the area who has maintained contact with the public health service's own area. MEASUREMENTS: Coded contact of patients are grouped using the Population Grouping Clinical Risk 3M TM Software (CRG). Each patient is included in a homogeneous and exclusive group with a numerical morbidity and clinical sense. Through the health card is known primary care centre, physician, age and sex. RESULTS: The distribution of morbidity is obtained by primary care centre, primary care physician, age and sex analyzing differences and combinations. CONCLUSIONS: It was found that the average values of the population morbidity are different in each primary care centre. In order to maintain the principle of equity in health care, it is suggested that an adjustment is made to the per capita payment based on the morbidity rate of the population.