Telehealth Actions to Address COVID-19 in Latin American Countries

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Informatics
• Digital Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid adaptation of healthcare delivery systems.
• Telehealth initiatives, often integrated into National Telehealth Projects (NTPs), played a crucial role in managing the pandemic's impact in Latin America.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the utilization and impact of telehealth resources within NTPs during the COVID-19 pandemic across Latin America.
• To understand the practical implementation of telehealth actions in response to the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative ethnomethodological study was conducted.
• Data was gathered through discussion groups with coordinating teams of NTPs from ten Latin American countries.
• Participated by 90 individuals from October 2020 to March 2021.

Main Results:

• Three country groups emerged: those with established telehealth backgrounds who refined activities (e.g., Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Argentina); those with some telehealth activities (e.g., Uruguay, Ecuador, El Salvador, Costa Rica); and those with no reported telehealth use (Honduras, Guatemala).
• Countries with prior telehealth experience effectively deployed teleconsultation, teleguidance, telemonitoring, and professional training.

Conclusions:

• Most National Telehealth Projects in Latin America demonstrated an improvement in telehealth activities.
• These enhanced telehealth services significantly contributed to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in the region.