The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the access to speech-language-hearing outpatient procedures of the Brazilian Unified Health System

Abstract

Purpose: to analyze the percentage variation in the indicator of access to speech-language-hearing procedures in the Unified Health System, during the pandemic. Methods: an ecological study carried out through outpatient productions made available in the Outpatient Information System of the Unified Health System, from 2019 to 2021. Outpatient productions were grouped into Health Promotion and Prevention Actions (01); Procedures with Diagnostic Purposes (02); Clinical Procedures (03); and Orthoses, Prosthetics, and Special Materials (07) per year and region of Brazil. The data were processed by TabNet, and access indicators were calculated, tabulated, and displayed on a thematic map. Results: the indicators of access to outpatient speech-language-hearing procedures decreased from 2019 to 2020 and increased in 2021, though still below the 2019 productions. The Southeast region had the greatest reduction in the supply indicator, and health promotion and prevention actions had the greatest reduction among procedure groups. The North region was the only region that maintained the pattern in access indicators in 2021, in relation to 2019. Conclusion: the access to procedures decreased in almost all Brazilian regions and procedure groups.