Transformations in Latin American Healthcare: A Retrospective Analysis of Hospital Beds, Medical Doctors, and Nurses from 1960 to 2022

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1344/jesb2023.8.2.42709

Keywords:

Healthcare, Latin America, XX century, XXI century, hospital beds, nurses, physicians, expenditure

Abstract

Latin America's healthcare systems evolved nonlinearly, influenced by diverse models, historical events, and political regimes. Limited knowledge exists despite national-level efforts, indicating a need for long-term statistics to assess the effects of reforms and understand healthcare changes in the region.

The article contributes to the Actor Network Theory (ANT) claim for better understanding of complex networks through a description of its main long term comparable components with a long term quantitative series for 20 Latin American countries, spanning from 1960 to 2020, on the number of hospital beds, physicians, and nurses (per capita) and healthcare expenditure (in US dollars per capita). The primary goal of this study is to showcase and describe the historical trends and patterns of these variables in the region. The results remain in purpose in this article in a descriptive level, due to the lack of reliable long term series that require in our view to disseminate the data so a broader scientific community may use them to obtain more contextualized interpretations in the different countries involved. The article, nevertheless, shows that there is a very convincing demonstration of the existence of an overall improvement in all the indicators considered and for most Latin American countries. They are leaders in most of the analyses and most of the time, Cuba, Argentina, and Uruguay. They are accompanied, depending on the indicator and the period, by Costa Rica and Panama. On the contrary, there are setbacks in Venezuela and minor progress or stagnation in most Central American countries.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Aran, Daniel, and Hernán Laca. 2011. “Sistema de salud de Uruguay.” Salud Pública de México 53:265-274

Becerril-Montekio, Victor, Juan de Dios Reyes, and Manuel Annick. 2011. “Sistema de salud de Chile.” Salud Pública de México 53:132-142

Bloom, Joshua, Sina Foroutanjazi, and Abhishek Chatterjee. 2020. “The Impact of Hospital Bed Density on the COVID-19 Case Fatality Rate in the United States.” The American Surgeon 867:746-747. doi:10.1177/0003134820939909.

Botey, Ana. 2020. Los orígenes del estado de bienestar en Costa Rica. Salud y Protección Social 1850-1940. San José: Editorial UCR.

Carney, Jan Kirk. 2023. A History of Public Health: From Past to Present. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Castiglioni, Arturo. 1941. A History of Medicine. New York: Alfred Knoff.

Cresswell, Kathrin M., Worth Allison, and Sheikh Aziz. 2010. “Actor-Network Theory and its role in understanding the implementation of information technology developments in healthcare”. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 10:67. Accessed May 29, 2023. doi:10.1186/1472-6947-10-67.

Cueto, Marcos. 1996. Salud, cultura y sociedad en América Latina. Nuevas perspectivas históricas. Lima: IEP Ediciones y OPS.

Cueto, Marcos, and Steven Palmer. 2015. Medicine and Public Health in Latin America: A History. New York: Cambridge University Press.

De Carvalho, Gabriela, Achim Schmid, and Johanna Fischer. 2021. “Classifications of health care systems: Do existing typologies reflect the particularities of the Global South?” Global Social Policy, 212:278–300. doi:10.1177/1468018120969315.

Donzé, Pierre-Yves, and Paloma Fernández Pérez. 2019. “Health Industries in the Twentieth Century.” Business History 61(3):385-403. doi:10.1080/00076791.2019.1572116.

Donzé, Pierre-Yves, and Paloma Fernández Pérez, eds. 2022. The Business of Health. New Approaches to the Evolution of Health Systems in the World. Abingdon, Oxon and New York: Routledge.

Ewbank, Leo, James Thompson, and Helen McKenna. 2017. NHS hospital bed numbers: past, present, future. The King's Fund. Available at: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/nhs-hospital-bed-numbers#hospital-beds-in-england-and-abroad.

Fernández Pérez, Paloma. 2021. The Emergence of Modern Hospital Organisation and Management in the World, 1880s–1930s. Bingley: Emerald Publishing

Granshaw, Lindsay, and Roy Porter. 1989. The hospital in history. London: Routledge.

Illanes, María Angélica. 2010. Historia social de la salud pública. Chile 1880-1973. Santiago: MINSAL.

Johnson, James, Carleeen Stokskopf, and Leiyu Shi. 2018. Comparative Health Systems. A global perspective. Burlington: Jones and Brattlett.

Lane, Joan. 2001. A social history of medicine: health, healing and disease in England, 1750–1950, London: Routledge.

Latour, Bruno. 2005. Reassembling the social. An introduction to Actor-Network. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Lucio, Ruth, Nilhda Villacrés, and Rodrigo Henríquez. 2011. “Sistema de salud de Ecuador”. Salud Pública de México 532:177-187.

Matus-López, Mauricio. 2023. La pandemia como oportunidad de cambio. Hacia la salud universal en América Latina. Estrategia basada en la experiencia. Santiago de Chile: CEPAL Naciones Unidas.

Matus-López, Mauricio and Camilo Cid. 2020. Fiscal Space for Health in Latin America and the Caribbean. Universal Health Series. Washington: OPS/OMS.

Mesa-Lago, Carmelo. 2008. Reassembling Social Security: A Survey of Pensions and Health Care Reforms in Latin America. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Mesa-Lago, Carmelo. 2009. Efectos de la crisis global sobre la seguridad social de salud y pensiones en América Latina y el Caribe, y recomendaciones de políticas. Serie Políticas Sociales, 150. Santiago de Chile: CEPAL.

Molina, Carlos. 2010. Institucionalidad sanitaria chilena. 1889-1989. Santiago de Chile: Ediciones LOM.

Moran, Michael. 1999. Governing the health care state: a comparative study of the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany, Political Analyses series. Manchester: Manchester University Press,

Neville, Sarah. 2020. “Bed-cutting policy leaves NHS short of resources.” FT.com. London March 21.

OECD, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. 2023. Health care resources. Hospital Beds. OECD Health Statistics database. Accessed April 23, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1787/data-00541-en.

Osler, William. 1921. The Evolution of Modern Medicine. New Haven: Yale University Press,

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 1962. Summary of four-year reports on health conditions in the Americas 1957-1960. Prepared for the XVI Pan American sanitary Conference. [Resumen de los informes cuadrienales sobre las condiciones de salud en las Américas. 1957-1960. Preparado para la XVII Conferencia Sanitaria Panamericana]. Scientific Publication 64. Available at: https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/47906.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 1966. Health Conditions in the Americas, 1961-1964. Prepared for the XVII Pan American sanitary Conference. [Las condiciones de salud en las Américas. 1961-1964. Preparado para la XVII Conferencia Sanitaria Panamericana] Scientific Publication 138. Available at: https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/28381.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 1970. Health Conditions in the Americas, 1965-1968. Prepared for the XVIII Pan American sanitary Conference [Las condiciones de salud en las Américas. 1965-1968. Preparado para la XVIII Conferencia Sanitaria Panamericana]. Scientific Publication 207. Available at: https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/28379.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 1974. Health Conditions in the Americas, 1969-1972. [Las condiciones de salud en las Américas. 1969-1972]. Scientific Publication 287. Available at: https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/28378.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 1978. Health Conditions in the Americas, 1973-1976. [Las condiciones de salud en las Américas. 1973-1976]. Scientific Publication 364. Available at: https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/28377.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 1982. Health Conditions in the Americas, 1977-1980. [Las condiciones de salud en las Américas. 1977-1980]. Scientific Publication 427. Available at: https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/28376.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 1986. Health Conditions in the Americas, 1981-1984. [Las condiciones de salud en las Américas. 1981-1984]. Vol I. and Vol II. Scientific Publication 500. Available at: https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/28375.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 1990. Health Conditions in the Americas. [Las condiciones de salud en las Américas]. Vol I. and Vol II. Scientific Publication 524. Available at: https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/28373.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 1994. Health Conditions in the Americas. [Las condiciones de salud en las Américas]. Vol I. and Vol II. Scientific Publication 549. Available at: https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/28371.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 1998. Health Conditions in the Americas. [Las condiciones de salud en las Américas]. Vol I. and Vol II. Scientific Publication 569. Available at: https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/50518.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 2002a. Health Conditions in the Americas. [Las condiciones de salud en las Américas]. Vol I. and Vol II. Scientific Publication 587. Available at: https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/746.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 2002b. Health Situation in the Americas: Basic Indicators. 2002. [Situación de Salud en las Américas. Indicadores Básicos 2002]. Brochure. Available at: https://www3.paho.org/hq/dmdocuments/2009/bi_2002_eng.pdf.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 2007. Health Situation in the Americas: Basic Indicators. 2007. [Situación de Salud en las Américas. Indicadores Básicos 2007]. Brochure. Available at: https://www3.paho.org/hq/dmdocuments/2009/bi_2007_eng.pdf.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 2008. Health Situation in the Americas: Basic Indicators. 2008. [Situación de Salud en las Américas. Indicadores Básicos 2008]. Brochure. Available at: https://www3.paho.org/hq/dmdocuments/2009/bi_2008_eng.pdf.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 2010. Health Situation in the Americas: Basic Indicators. 2010. [Situación de Salud en las Américas. Indicadores Básicos 2010]. Brochure. Available at: https://www3.paho.org/hq/dmdocuments/2010/BI_2010_ENG.pdf.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 2012. Health in South America. 2012 Edition. Health Situation, policies and systems overview. Available at: https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/28327.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 2013. Health Situation in the Americas: Basic Indicators. 2013. [Situación de Salud en las Américas. Indicadores Básicos 2013]. Brochure. Available at: https://www3.paho.org/hq/dmdocuments/2013/Basic-Indicator-2013-en.pdf.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 2016. Core Indicators. 2016. Brochure. Available at: https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/31289.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 2022. Health indicators. Department of Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health. Database. Received by email. October 11, 2022.

PAHO, Pan American Health Organization. 2023. PAHO Core Indicators. Accessed February 23, 2023. Available at: https://opendata.paho.org/en/core-indicators/core-indicators-dashboard#definitions.

Pauly, Mark V., William L. Kissick, and Laura E. Roper. 1989. Lessons from the First Twenty Years of Medicare: Research Implications for Public and Private Sector Policy. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press

Risse, Guenter. 1999. Mending Bodies, Saving Souls: A History of Hospitals. New York: Oxford University Press.

Roemer, M. 1991. National health Systems of the World. Volume One. The Countries. New York: Oxford University Press.

Rosen, George. 1958. A History of Public Health. New York: MD Publications.

Sáenz, María, Mónica Acosta, Jorine Muiser, and Juan Luis Bermúdez. 2011. “Sistema de salud de Costa Rica.” Salud Pública de México 53:156-167.

Sen-Crowe, Brendon, Mason Sutherland, Marc McKenney, and Adel Elkbuli, A. 2021. “A Closer Look Into Global Hospital Beds Capacity and Resource Shortages During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” The Journal of Surgical Research 260:56–63. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2020.11.062.

Sun, Xiaoming. 2020. World Health Systems. New Jersey: Wiley.

US Census Bureau. 2023. Annual Average Consumer Price Index Retroactive Series R-CPI-U-RS. All Items. 1947 to 2021. Last modified September 12, 2022. Available at: https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/income/guidance/current-vs-constant-dollars.html.

Veronelli, Juan Carlos, and Magalí Veronelli. 2004. Los orígenes institucionales de la Salud Pública en la Argentina. Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. Buenos Aires: OPS/OMS.

Vilar, Margarita. and Jeronia Pons. 2018. Un siglo de hospitales. Entre lo público y lo privado 1886-1986. Financiación, gestión y construcción del sistema hospitalario español. Madrid: Marcial Pons Historia.

Walzer, Judith, and Ronald Numbers. 1983. Sickness and Health in America. Madison; University of Wisconsin Press.

Webster, Charles. 1998. The National Health Service: A Political History. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

WHO, World Health Organization. 2022. National Health Workforce Accounts Data Portal. Accessed November 10, 2022. Available at: https://apps.who.int/nhwaportal/.

WHO, World Health Organization. 2023. Global Health Expenditure Database. Accessed April 20, 2023. Available at: https://apps.who.int/nha/database/Select/Indicators/en.

Downloads

Published

2023-07-01

How to Cite

Matus-Lopez, Mauricio, and Paloma Fernández Pérez. 2023. “Transformations in Latin American Healthcare: A Retrospective Analysis of Hospital Beds, Medical Doctors, and Nurses from 1960 to 2022”. Journal of Evolutionary Studies in Business 8 (2):248-88. https://doi.org/10.1344/jesb2023.8.2.42709.

Issue

Section

Articles