New model of health care improve quality and reduce costs

One of mankind’s greatest accomplishments has been to achieve longevity, which has been accompanied by a substantial improvement in the health parameters of populations, although these achievements have been far from equitably distributed in different countries and socioeconomic contexts. Reaching old age once the privilege of a few has become the norm even in the poorest countries. The challenge, therefore, is to add quality to these additional years of life. This demographic transition and the improvement in Brazil’s social and economic indicators, compared to previous decades, have led to the expansion of the elderly population and greater fiscal pressure on public and private health systems. If this portion of the population increases, chronic diseases and expenditures also naturally increase.1 One of the results of this dynamic is the growing demand for health services, which can simultaneously generate scarcity and/or resource constraints. Hospital admissions become more frequent and bed occupancy times are greater than in other age groups. The diseases that affect the elderly are mostly chronic and multiple, require constant monitoring, permanent care, continuous medication and periodic examinations.2