Purpose: This work aims to integrate the concepts generated by a systematic literature review on patient flows in emergency departments (ED) to serve as a basis for developing a generic process model for ED. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines, considering Lean Healthcare interventions describing ED patients’ flows. The initial search found 141 articles and 18 were included in the systematic analysis. The literature analysis served as the basis for developing a generic process model for ED. Findings: ED processes have been represented using different notations, such as value stream mapping and workflows. The main alternatives for starting events are arrival by ambulance or walk-in. The Manchester Triage Scale (MTS) was the most common protocol referred to in the literature. The most common end events are admission to a hospital, transfer to other facilities or admission to an ambulatory care system. The literature analysis allowed the development of a generic process model for emergency departments. Nevertheless, considering that several factors influence the process of an emergency department, such as pathologies, infrastructure, available teams and local regulations, modelling alternatives and challenges in each step of the process should be analysed according to the local context. Originality/value: A generic business process model was developed using BPMN that can be used by practitioners and researchers to reduce the effort in the initial stages of design or improvement projects. Moreover, it’s a first step toward the development of generalizable and replicable solutions for emergency departments.

The adoption of healthcare technologies has grown significantly, with real-time location systems (RTLSs) gaining particular attention. Despite decades of research, gaps persist in understanding the current state of the field and its future directions. This scoping review, conducted by PRISMA guidelines, identified 1718 articles retrieved from six databases, from which 83 were included. The findings reveal a dominance of U.S.-based case studies and a lack of systematic literature reviews. While RFID is the most commonly used technology, alternative solutions are emerging, though few studies explore their combined use. The emergency department is the most studied setting, focusing on patient flow. However, case study quality varies, which affects replicability, and literature reviews often fail to justify technological choices adequately. RTLS benefits include improved efficiency, enhanced patient safety, and cost reduction, but challenges such as precision issues and signal interference persist. RTLS also serves as a foundation for digital twins, integrating AI and Industry 4.0 technologies for more sustainable healthcare operations. Technological advancements may shift perceptions of RTLS challenges and benefits, highlighting the need for analysis by technology type and release date. Additionally, current MeSH terms fail to adequately cover healthcare technologies, resulting in the exclusion of relevant studies.

A aplicação de dispositivos e algoritmos com inteligência artificial na saúde vem tornando-se uma realidade em diversas áreas. Porém, como no caso de outras tecnologias já utilizadas, para que essas ferramentas efetivamente resultem em melhoria da qualidade do cuidado, o profissional de saúde precisa saber avaliar de forma crítica seus aspectos positivos e negativos, além de suas limitações. Para isso, é de extrema importância a adoção de uma postura colaborativa, e não de enfrentamento, com esses dispositivos. O presente ensaio busca descrever um panorama acerca da inteligência artificial e seu uso nas áreas de saúde, além de elucidar pontos e levantar reflexões sobre riscos, benefícios e o dilema da desumanização do atendimento em saúde. Ainda, busca refletir em relação ao perfil do “profissional do futuro” e os caminhos que as instituições de ensino devem tomar para sua formação.

This study explores the relationship between socioeconomic and geographic variables of Brazilian municipalities and deaths caused by thermal (TB) and electrical burns (EB). Using data from the Mortality Information System and municipal indicators from IBGE, the impact of several factors on burn mortality was investigated. The analysis revealed a significant association between mortality and HDI (EB: 2000-2009 - RR=1.4·10−³ (95%CI: 3.4·10−4-5.9·10−3), 2010-2019 - RR=1.53·10−3 (95%CI: 2.46·10−4-9.57·10−3); TB: 2000-2009 - RR=2.95·10−6 (95%CI: 7.63·10−7-1.14·10−5), 2010-2019 - RR=1.24·10−7 (95%CI: 1.79·10−8-8.68·10−7)), Gini index (EB: 2000-2009 - RR=33.02) (95%CI: 18.43-59.03), 2010-2019 - RR=197.52 (95%CI: 111.2-350.14); TB: 2000-2009 - RR=25.77 (95%CI: 14.68-45.13), 2010-2019 - RR=431.24 (95%CI: 237.24-781.89)), and percentage of the population living in urban areas (EB: 2000-2009 - RR=1.644) (95%CI: 1.253-2.1689), 2010-2019 - RR=1.55 (95%CI: 1.17-2.07); TB: 2000-2009 - RR=2.42 (95%CI: 1.8-3.26), 2010-2019 - RR=2.794 (95%CI: 1.98-3.96)). The results suggest that lower socioeconomic conditions are correlated with higher risks of death by burns, indicating that it is a public health issue linked to social inequalities.