Short Stay Units:

a strategy to improve management, optimize resources and reduce costs in the management, optimize resources and reduce costs in health services.

Abstract

The present study consists of a proposal for the implementation of a Short Stay Surgical Unit at the Hospital Dr. Rafal Ángel Calderón Guardia, a hospital belonging to the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (Costa Rican Social Security Fund), located in San José, Costa Rica. Short Stay Units are medical units that, through the standardization of processes and well-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, make it possible to optimize the use of resources and reduce costs, providing more timely, efficient and effective care. Through the proposed model, it is estimated that the average length of stay will be reduced by 39.1%, from 7.66 to 3 days. The bed turnover is increased by 93.2%, going from 4.14 to 8. The preoperative stay is eliminated, when previously it had an average of 3.03 days. The post-operative stay was reduced by 55.3%, going from 5.42 to 3 days. These changes represent, on average, a decrease of 04 days in hospital stay for each patient.