Decision making methodology for investments in medical infrastructure
Mexico City, Mexico
The Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) is the largest health care provider in Latin America and the most important government institution in Mexico providing health care services to more than 54 million users throughout the country. This institution offers coverage to citizens affiliated to the IMSS and their direct family members. The IMSS health system has 3 service levels. Level 1 refers to general outpatient services through the Units of Family Care - UMF. Users are assigned to the closest UMF based on their postal code. Level 2 refers to hospitals with specialized outpatient services, hospitalization and emergency care. Users are transferred directly from UMFs. Level 3 facilities are equipped to treat diseases of greater complexity. Users can only be transferred from Level 2.
The decision-making process for investments on infrastructure constructions of new medical facilities did not contemplate low density areas where the IMSS had no presence. Additionally, there was no association between the new health care services enabled by the investments in infrastructure the population’s current health care needs. The IMSS needed to prioritize their investments to maximize their health care coverage by type of service needed per area.
The team created a methodology and developed dynamic tools that uses statistical analysis to encompass a more comprehensive vision of the problem of deficit and quality in medical infrastructure. Key performance indicators were created with a combination of geospatial analysis and socio-economic variables. There was an integration of the local area’s geography and the urban conditions of each region, to prioritize the infrastructure investments and automatize the decision-making process at IMSS.
