BackgroundThe search for quality requires assessment tools in the various subdivisions of a
health complex. In diagnostic medicine, they are scarce and in ergometry
suggestions of indicators were not found. ObjectiveTo establish indicator for quality control on ergometry based on III Guidelines of
the Brazilian Cardiology Society About Ergometric Test; to verify the percentage
of tests that have presented the indicator within the compliance in two services
of the same institution before and after the publication of the document. MethodsA critical analysis of the guidelines in the search for indicator that would
present: accuracy, reliability, simplicity, validity, sensitivity and ability to
quantitatively measure the variations in the behavior of quality criteria and that
would be applicable to all tests. The indicator was applied in tests of 2010 and
2011 prior to the publication, and after it was adopted by two services of the
same institution. ResultsThe indicator that has met the criteria was the percentage of ergometric tests
with exercise duration between 8 and 12 minutes. In the years 2010 and 2011,
respectively, the percentage of ergometric tests within compliance were 85.5% and
86.1% (p = 0.068) at the General Hospital, and 81.5% and 85.7% (p <0.001) the
Service of Periodic Health Assessment. Conclusion The exercise time between 8 and 12 minutes can be used as a quality criterion in
ergometric and services where it was applied, at least 80% of the ergometric tests
were compliant.