Rural telemedicine and COVID-19
expanding access where distance was already the rule
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5712/rbmfc15(42)2484Keywords:
Telemedicine, Rural Health, Family Practice, Primary Health Care, COVID-19.Abstract
Introduction: Faced with the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), avoiding crowds and guaranteeing access to health services for those in need has been a major concern for professionals and managers. In rural areas, access barriers are even greater. Methods: This is an experience report of the implementation of telemedicine via an app of messages and calls by a preceptor and residents of the Residency Program in Family Medicine and Community of Ouro Preto, in a rural Basic Health Unit. Three weeks after the introduction of the tool, a database was manually generated using the Microsoft Excel® 2016 program, with subsequent descriptive statistical analysis. Results: In the analyzed period, there were 329 interactions through WhatsApp, an average of 25.3 people per day. All demands were met within a maximum of 24 hours. Teleconsultations were conducted in the form of written messages, audios and video calls. The demand for renewing prescriptions for medications for continued use corresponded to 20% of the consultations and the request for appraisal of test results was 9%. Administrative questions represented 22% of the contacts made. Seventy-four percent of the teleconsultations were resolved virtually and in 26% of the cases, face-to-face evaluation was required. There was a positive perception in reaction to the satisfaction of patients seen virtually, according to the reports of the Community Health Workers and through messages received directly by the medical team through the app. Conclusions: The use of a messaging and calling app as a Telemedicine tool proved to be a viable strategy during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, especially important in rural areas. Further studies are needed to investigate its impacts on the health system and on the relevant outcomes for the population.
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