Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33726741›Full record

Observational studyHuman resources for health2021

Evaluating medical education regulation changes in Brazil: workforce impact.

Alexandre Medeiros Figueiredo, Danette Waller McKinley, Adriano Massuda, George Dantas Azevedo

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Human resources for health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Alexandre Medeiros FigueiredoHealth Sciences Postgraduate Program, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil. potiguar77@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0003-1433-088X
Danette Waller McKinleyResearch and Data Resources, FAIMER, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Adriano MassudaSchool of Business Administration, Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV EAESP), Av. 9 de julho, 2029, Bela Vista, São Paulo, SP, 01313-902, Brazil.
George Dantas AzevedoMulticampi School of Medical Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Cel. Martiniano, 541, Caicó, RN, 59300-000, Brazil.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundShortages and inequitable distribution of physicians is an obstacle to move towards Universal Health Coverage, especially in low-income and middle-income countries. In Brazil, expansion of medical school enrollment, curricula changes and recruitment programs were established to increase the number of physicians in underserved areas. This study seeks to analyze the impact of these measures in reduce inequities in access to medical education and physicians' distribution.

methodsThis is an observational study that analyzes changes in the number of undergraduate medical places and number of physicians per inhabitants in different areas in Brazil between the years 2010 and 2018. Data regarding the number of undergraduate medical places, number and the practice location of physicians were obtained in public databases. Municipalities with less than 20,000 inhabitants were considered underserved areas. Data regarding access to antenatal visits were analyzed as a proxy for impact in access to healthcare.

resultsFrom 2010 to 2018, 19,519 new medical undergraduate places were created which represents an increase of 120.2%. The increase in the number of physicians engaged in the workforce throughout the period was 113,702 physicians, 74,771 of these physicians in the Unified Health System. The greatest increase in the physicians per 1000 inhabitants ratio in the municipalities with the smallest population, the lowest Gross Domestic Product per capita and in those located in the states with the lowest concentration of physicians occurred in the 2013-2015 period. Increase in physician supply improved access to antenatal care.

conclusionsThere was an expansion in the number of undergraduate medical places and medical workforce in all groups of municipalities assessed in Brazil. Medical undergraduate places expansion in the federal public schools was more efficient to reduce regional inequities in access to medical education than private sector expansion. The recruitment component of More Doctors for Brazil Program demonstrated effectiveness to increase the number of physicians in underserved areas. Our results indicate the importance of public policies to face inequities in access to medical education and physician shortages and the necessity of continuous assessment during the period of implementation, especially in the context of political and economic changes.

Indexed as

Education, MedicalPhysiciansBrazilFemaleHumansPregnancySchools, MedicalWorkforceHealth workforceMedical educationMedically underserved area

Identifiers

PMID33726741
PMCPMC7967964

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.