Time trend of audiological procedures in the Brazilian Public Health System

Abstract

Purpose: to analyze the time trend of audiological procedures in the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS) between 2008 and 2019 in the geographical regions of Brazil. Methods: a time series ecological study with data on audiological procedures from the SUS Outpatient Information System. The study calculated annual indices of audiological procedures with joinpoint regression for the trend analysis. The progress in the provision of procedures between the initial and final years in the series and the distribution of identified records was calculated. Results: altogether, 38,500,404 records were found in the study period. The South (178.84/10,000 inhabitants) and North of Brazil (130.97/10,000 inhabitants), respectively, had the highest and lowest mean procedure indices. Both were the only regions with a trend towards a significant increase in procedures. In Brazil, they increased by 56.91%, with an emphasis on the increase in “otoacoustic evoked emissions in neonatal hearing screening” and a decrease in “visual reinforcement audiometry (air/bone conduction).” In the distribution, procedures concentrated on basic audiological assessments. Conclusion: audiological procedures have increased at SUS, but there are discrepancies between procedures and geographical regions of Brazil.