Territorial Concentration and Service Disparity of Diagnostic Procedures in Ecuadorian Public Health Facilities: A 2024 Administrative Data Assessment

Resumen

Managing diagnostic infrastructure in public health systems requires precise empirical evaluation of service volume, spatial concentration, and facility capacity. This study presents a descriptive observational analysis of the 2024 laboratory and diagnostic procedure dataset (“MSP_Laboratorio_2024.csv”) from the Ministry of Public Health of Ecuador (MSP), evaluating 29,368 administrative records across 34 variables. Quantitative zeros were distinguished from technical missingness to evaluate reporting validity. Results indicate a total national production of 75,265,081 procedures, with clinical laboratory examinations constituting 82.09% (61,781,607 procedures). Secondary care facilities (“NIVEL 2”) produced 60.06% of total workload (45,200,942 procedures), while outpatient care (“CONSULTA EXTERNA”) absorbed 54.35% (40,904,847 procedures). Absolute volume was concentrated in Pichincha and Guayas (36.20% combined), but population normalization revealed higher per capita rates in Pichincha (4.54 procedures/habitant) than in Guayas (3.01 procedures/habitant). An interactive web dashboard was deployed to support regional decision-making. These findings establish an empirical baseline for evidence-based resource allocation in Ecuadorian public health planning.