Background The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted health services and healthcare systems worldwide. Studies have shown that hospital admissions for causes related to chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have decreased significantly during peak pandemic periods. An analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital admissions for NCDs is essential to implement disability and mortality mitigation strategies for these groups. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital admissions for NCDs in Brazil according to the type of NCD, sex, age group, and region of Brazil. Methods This is an ecological study conducted in Brazil. Data on hospital admissions from January 1, 2017 to May 31, 2021 were extracted from the Unified Health System’s Hospital Admissions Information System. The hospital admission rates per 100,000 thousand inhabitants were calculated monthly according to the type of NCD, sex, age group, and region of Brazil. Poisson regression models were used to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of hospital admissions. In this study, the pre-pandemic period was set from January 1, 2017 to February 29, 2020 and the during-pandemic from March 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021. Results There was a 27.0% (95.0%CI: -29.0; -25.0%) decrease in hospital admissions for NCDs after the onset of the pandemic compared to that during the pre-pandemic period. Decreases were found for all types of NCDs—cancer (-23.0%; 95.0%CI: -26.0; -21.0%), diabetes mellitus (-24.0%; 95.0%CI: -25.0%; -22.0%), cardiovascular diseases (-30.0%; 95.0%CI: -31.0%; -28.0%), and chronic respiratory diseases (-29.0%; 95.0%CI: -30.0%; -27.0%). In addition, there was a decrease in the number of admissions, regardless of the age group, sex, and region of Brazil. The Northern and Southern regions demonstrated the largest decrease in the percentage of hospital admissions during the pandemic period. Conclusions There was a decrease in the hospitalization rate for NCDs in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic in a scenario of social distancing measures and overload of health services.

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Overcrowding in emergency hospital units represents a serious problem in the health system and is a phenomenon faced worldwide. And when investigating the origin of this disorder, it is observed that the great demand for care of cases considered low risk directly influences the quality of the service provided. Thus, it is necessary to apply tools and methods to improve the service offered. The Lean Six Sigma methodology allows the construction of problem-solving proposals based on statistical data and effective mechanisms. And with the use of the DMAIC method, which is also the methodological framework of Lean Six Sigma, it is possible to clearly direct the resolution of problems through process improvement and restructuring in an organization. The present study aims to present a successful experience in the application of DMAIC to improve patient care and assistance in UPA Cumbica, located in the city of Guarulhos, SP.

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