[Information use in public hospital management].

This study investigates managerial perceptions of the use of information in health management and planning in 24 Public Hospitals in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region, analyzing its usefulness for the decision-making process. In addition, some characteristics of the existing information system are studied. The findings show that ample amounts of information and data are available in the hospitals covered by this study, despite some gaps, and that managers do not know about the existing data and do not use this information to guide hospital management.