Evaluación de la calidad documental y operativa del proceso de facturación en los expedientes de servicios hospitalarios del Hospital General Guasmo Sur, Ecuador, 2025

Abstract

Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the quality of the billing process in the hospital services of the Guasmo Sur General Hospital in Ecuador during 2025. It was conducted using a quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional approach, through the review of 10 documents, the auditing of 374 patient records, and the systematization of findings. The results showed that 40.0% of the documents met the evaluated criteria, while 60.0% showed partial compliance or non-compliance. In the patient records, 54.8% contained incomplete documentation, 39.0% recorded a billing time longer than 3 days, 35.6% lacked signatures or identification of the responsible party, and 24.3% presented coding errors. Objections were also identified in 54.5% of cases, and returns in 34.0%. The deficiencies were concentrated in document reception, validation, and auditing; therefore, the opportunities for improvement focused on completeness control, monitoring of deadlines, cross-checking, and standardization of coding. It was concluded that the process presented a defined administrative structure, although documentary and operational gaps persisted that affected its uniformity, traceability, and efficiency.