Public Health Policies in Hospital Management: Lessons and Challenges of the COVID-19 Crisis

Abstract

This research focused on analyzing public policies that were implemented in different health systems around the world for hospital management during the COVID-19 pandemic, using a systematic review methodology. Scientific sources, mainly articles indexed in Scielo, Web of Science (WoS) and Science Direct, are reviewed using a descriptive approach to organize and summarize the information collected. The selection of documents was carried out using key terms such as "publicpolitics" OR "COVID preventionpolitics", which led to the identification of 50 relevant articles in English and Spanish, published between 2019 and 2023. The evaluation focused on how public policies of different nations helped prevent the spread of COVID-19, offering an updated and detailed comparison of the effectiveness of these measures worldwide. The study emphasized the impact of these policies on health indicators such as infection, hospitalization and mortality rates. It explored how the implementation of different strategies, including lockdowns, vaccination programs, mask wearing and social distancing, influenced the trajectory of the pandemic. The results showed significant variations in the effectiveness of these policies, influenced by aspects such as the moment of implementation, the level of compliance of the population and the capacity of local health systems. The importance of effective health communication and education was highlighted as key elements to promote adherence to preventive measures. This analysis offered a comprehensive view of how public policies affect public health during the COVID-19 crisis, providing important lessons to confront future health emergencies. Thus, this study provided a detailed understanding of the relationship between COVID-19 prevention policies and their direct effects on public health, highlighting the need for effective public health management adaptable to the dynamics of a health crisis. The variability in the effectiveness of these policies highlighted the need to take into account sociocultural, economic, and health infrastructure contexts when designing prevention strategies.