Introduction: Technology innovation and health knowledge is are constantly increasing and changing. This growth in health technologies has been associated with a drop in mortality rates, as well as an increase in the cost of medical care. These new technologies add value to services, although they do not replace old ones, and more supply generates further demand. This supply is generated in a preference for innovation, where patients are not satisfied unless health practices are supported by the huge arsenal of sophisticated technology. Furthermore, due to technology innovation, the risk of production errors also increases. Through assessing health technologies, sentinel networks can play a role in risk management in the health system. The Sentinel Network, coordinated by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), has 190 hospitals, which include public, private and philanthropic centres. All are involved in developing teaching activities, in all of the Federation States. They have the authority to notify adverse affects of health product's and technical complaints, through health-hospital risk management.
Objectives: To identify, by hospital bed usage and number of highly complex services performed at the Sentinel Network, the quantity of procedures performed, and products and drugs used.
Methods: A quantitative study was performed, using the Health Establishments National Registries (CNES/DATASUS/Health Ministry) data for December 2006. This data was computed using the TabWin32 software. The following data was gathered: hospital beds in the SN versus hospital beds in Brazil (tabulation 1); ICU beds in the SN versus ICU beds in Brazil (tabulation 2); hospitals that perform more than three highly complex services in the SN versus hospitals that perform more than three highly complex services in Brazil (tabulation 3).
Results: For hospital beds (tabulation 1), the following result was found: 10.93% (53944/493.103); for ICU beds (tabulation 2): 18.44% (6,159/33,387); for tabulation 3 (highly complex services: 37.97% (60/158).
Conclusion: After collating and analysing the data, the high usage of complex technology was evident in SN. Since SN hospitals are also involved in teaching and research in health, they are able to apply health technology assessment throughout the Brazilian health sector in a safe, effective, efficient and equitable manner.