The Profile of Medical Education on Intensive Care in the State of Rondônia, Brazil

ABSTRACT

As a specialization, Intensive Care (IC) is currently experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals with the specific IC title. This shortage is mainly due to a significant increase in the number of beds in intensive care units (ICU) in recent decades, with less than 2% of physicians trained in this specialization in Brazil. The country’s legislation calls for one daytime/routine doctor specialized in IC for every 10 beds per shift, whereas, according to the Brazilian Intensive Care Association, the State of Rondônia only has 183 ICU beds and 18 intensive care physicians. This framework puts the quality of the IC service at risk, particularly for users. The following study sought to characterize the educational profile of intensive care physicians working in intensive care units (ICU) in public and private hospitals in state of Rondônia. Completed by 93 professionals, this transversal and quantitative study featured a self-administered questionnaire containing questions on sociodemographic conditions and professional profiles. The results showed that the highest proportion were male and aged 30-40, with a monthly income over ten minimum monthly salaries. Approximately 1/3 reported working in two different places, and less than 20% worked exclusively in ICU. Most of the participants worked in public and private ICU, and only 19.4% were specialized in Intensive Care Medicine. Participation in scientific events was significant, but only 1 out of 5 took part in research projects, with only 1 out of 4 publishing scientific articles. The small number of experts working in ICU compromises the quality of care services provided to users. Efforts to correct this deficiency should be encouraged by increasing the vacancies offered on local residency programs, improving the quality of management, as well as providing better training for medical professionals working in ICU.

Intensive Care; Intensive Care Unit; Professional Practice; Medical Education