Assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the productivity of teaching hospitals in Brazil.

Objectives: To analyze the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the productivity of general teaching hospitals in Brazil, by region and legal entity, and to propose parameters of care.

Methods: This was an observational study by means of mathematical modeling with data envelopment analysis and Malmquist index, using data on inputs and healthcare output before (2019) and during (2021) the pandemic.

Results: A total of 149 general teaching hospitals were analyzed, 32 of which were considered efficient.

Planning feasible and efficient operational scenarios for a university hospital through multimethodology.

The COVID-19 pandemic required managerial and structural changes inside hospitals to address new admission demands, frequently reducing their care capacity for other diseases. In this regard, this study aims to support the recovery of hospital productivity in the post-pandemic context. The major challenge will be to make use of all the resources the institution has obtained (equipment, beds, temporarily hired human resources) and to increase production to meet the existing repressed demand.