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Original research
Health professionals donating work hours: an initiative for improving access to healthcare in Brazil: case study and initial results
  1. João Paulo Nogueira Ribeiro1,
  2. Rachel Riera2,3
  1. 1 Geriatrics specialist, Discipline of Evidence-Based Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM-Unifesp), São Paulo, Brazil
  2. 2 Rheumatologist and Adjunct Professor, Discipline of Evidence-Based Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
  3. 3 Coordinator, HTA Center, Hospital Sírio-Libanês, São Paulo, Brazil
  1. Correspondence to Dr João Paulo Nogueira Ribeiro, Evidence-Based Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023-900, Brazil; docgeriatra{at}hotmail.com

Abstract

Background Even with a universal public health system, the Brazilian population faces inequalities on access to healthcare. Long queues for medical appointments, caused by lack of professionals, space and equipment, are barriers for those who cannot pay for treatments. However, health professionals working in the private sector may have free hours at their clinics which they can donate.

Objectives We report the implementation of a non-governmental initiative for connecting health professionals willing to volunteer and patients needing healthcare services, and present the initial results concerning access to healthcare.

Methods The network ‘Horas da Vida’ was created in Brazil to connect health professionals and patients. We analysed the number of patients and professionals involved, specialties, visits and services provided, and economic values.

Results In 2016, 1748 professionals were involved with the network. 6967 services were provided (1831 consultations) to 1974 patients, most of whom were unemployed and with low income, and 20% were illiterate. Medical, dental, nutritional, physical therapy or psychological consults, simple therapeutic procedures, eyeglasses, and educational services were provided by psychologists (29%), dentists (6%), nutritionists (5%) and physical therapists (5%). Only 5% of physicians were general practitioners. We calculated the cost of care at R$985 979.21 in 2016 (or US$314 446.74 on 18 September 2017).

Conclusions The Horas da Vida network made it easy to organise a schedule and identify free hours in the clinics that could be used for volunteering and for providing health assistance to a large number of socially deprived and economically vulnerable patients.

  • volunteering
  • health care
  • public health system
  • social network
  • volunteer network

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Footnotes

  • Twitter @HorasdaVida

  • Contributors JPNR designed the study, collected the data, wrote the manuscript, and revised and gave final approval for the version to be published. RR interpreted/analysed the data, reviewed the text critically and gave final approval for the version to be published.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests JPNR is the founder of the NGO Horas da Vida.

  • Patient consent for publication Not required.

  • Ethics approval The institutional review board approved the study protocol (CAAE: 55652516.3.0000.5505).

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

  • Data availability statement No data are available. Because it would be difficult to deidentify patients and volunteers, the researchers cannot share data publicly at this time.