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. 2022 Nov 21;68(10):1376-1382.
doi: 10.1590/1806-9282.20220697. eCollection 2022.

Teleconsultations in neurology in a universal health system amid COVID-19: a descriptive study

Emanuelle Roberta da Silva Aquino  1 , Daniela Laranja Gomes Rodrigues  2 , Carlos Eduardo Alves Batista  3 , Josue Basso  1 , Sabrina Dalbosco Gadenz  1 , Kevin Yun Kim  4 , Daniela Vianna Pachito  1 , Stephan Sperling  1 , Soraya Camargo Ito Suffert  1 , Carlos Eduardo Mantese  1
Affiliations

Teleconsultations in neurology in a universal health system amid COVID-19: a descriptive study

Emanuelle Roberta da Silva Aquino et al. Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). .

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to characterize teleconsultations in neurology executed by Regula+Brasil project in Recife, a capital city in northeastern Brazil.

Methods: A descriptive study carried out by four private hospitals, in a partnership with the Ministry of Health in Brazil. Teleconsultation was performed preferably in the video modality. Conditions eligible for teleconsultation were headache, epilepsy, and cerebrovascular disorders. Period of analysis was May to September 2020.

Results: A total of 243 teleconsultations were analyzed, of which 76.95% was a first appointment. In 48.97% of cases, the teleconsultation represented the first opportunity for the patient to be consulted with the specialist. Among cases of first appointment, 20.16% were further referred to a face-to-face consultation and 21.81% could be redirected to primary health care. Headache disorders were the most predominant clinical conditions.

Conclusions: The implementation and development of telemedicine by Regula+Brasil during the COVID-19 pandemic represented an opportunity to assess the value of having teleconsultations added along the line of care from primary care to a medical specialty, promoting the coordination of care across different levels of complexity of care in the health system and improving access to specialized care.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: the authors declare there is no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Neurology teleconsultation care process.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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