[Databases for surgical specialists in Cancún, Quintana Roo]

Our aim was to identify the level of knowledge of surgical health-area specialists in Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico, from the personal productivity database.

We carried out an investigation of 37 surgical specialists: 24 belonged to the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), while 13 belonged to the Mexican Health Secretariat (SSA).

In our research, we found that 61% of surgical health-area specialist physicians were familiar with some aspects of the institutional surgical registry, including the following: 54% knew of the existence of a personal registry of surgeries carried out, and 43% keep a record of their personal activities. From the latter percentage, 69% of surgical health-area specialist physicians mentioned keeping their records manually, while 44% used the computer. Results of the research suggest that these physicians would like to have some kind of record of the surgeries carried out by each.

An important percentage of these specialists do not keep a personal record on a database; due to this lack of knowledge, we obtain incorrect information in institutional records of the reality of what is actually done. We consider it important to inform surgical specialists concerning the existence of personal institutional records in database form or even of record done manually, as well as correct terminology for the International Codification (CIE-9 & 10). We inform here of the need to encourage a culture in records and databases in the formative stage of surgeon specialists.