Reorganization of University Hospitals to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic: an integrative review

Abstract

Introduction: One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century faced by science and humanity has been called the COVID-19 pandemic, causing unprecedented impact and changes in the history of public health. General objective: To identify the scientific evidence on the reorganization of services provided in Public University Hospitals to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Integrative literature review carried out in May 2023, in the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Web of Science (WOS), Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), Embase and Scopus databases. The eligibility criteria were original studies published in any language. The articles were categorized according to their level of evidence and the data extracted using a tool. A flowchart and tables were used to present the data. Results: The initial search found a total of 454 publications, of these 115 were excluded due to duplication, the titles and abstracts of 339 articles were read, ten publications were read in full and after applying the criteria, six publications made up the sample. The year of publication of the records was 2020-2023, and they were carried out in Italy (n = 2), Brazil (n = 2), Germany (n = 1) and the United States (n = 1). The evidence was categorized into care and management. Conclusion: Care strategies were reorganized using care technologies and maintained regular activities in pediatrics, oncology and termination of pregnancy services. As for management strategies, the use of remote activities for teaching/work and concern for workers' health were highlighted.

Keywords: Hospital Reorganization; Hospital management; University Hospitals; Pandemic; COVID-19.