Real world data: a tool for decision making in health

Abstract

Objective: to stimulate the use of secondary data in Health Economics analyses, based on a better understanding of available possibilities in Public Health database. Methods: analysis and observation of available data to develop Health Economics studies using Public Health database; based on that, exposes the data sources and this data capture process; qualifies Datasus database and explains the methodologies, finally, describes the steps to develop the analyses. Results: the most important public data in health care are Unified Health System (SUS); Outpatient Information (SIA/ SUS) - 3 million patients and expenditures of 8.7 billion reais in 2011; Inpatient Information (SIH/SUS) - more than 9 million patients and expenditures of 13.10 billion reais in 2011; the data national publication is updated monthly, in approximately 30 days from the production ending; the growing awareness about the information transparency and the use of databases as a tool for SUS planning and management, makes the quality of Public Health databases, significantly improve in recent years; these studies are possible, due the identification of the individual under treatment. Conclusions: even though SIA/SUS and SIH/SUS, are secondary data typically created by process that do not consider the scientific accuracy strict and proper of academic analyses, we should recognize that this possibility described in the article, introduces a new source of data to be considered.