Telessaúde como ferramenta de apoio à atenção primária à saúde: um olhar sobre as teleconsultorias em cardiologia

In order to qualify Primary Health Care in Brazil, the Ministry of Health implemented the Brazilian Telehealth Program to provide health support (telecare) and permanent health education (tele-education). In this respect, one of the primary services offered is teleconsultation. As part of the national expansion of the program, a local Telehealth Center, called Telehealth/RN, was created in Rio Grande do Norte state. The aim of this study was to describe the implementation of cardiological teleconsultations at Telehealth/RN, and analyze the characteristics of the teleconsultations in cardiology requested. Formative Second Opinions in cardiology, available at the web site of the Brazilian Telehealth Program, were also examined. This is a quantitative study with a descriptive, observational design. A total of 56 Formative Second Opinions in cardiology were identified, a majority related to hypertension (29%), focused on treatment support (30%), and requested by doctors (59%). At Telehealth/RN, 47 teleconsultations in cardiology were carried out, a majority also related to hypertension (50%), requested by community health workers (45%) and focused directly on treatment (52%). Cardiological teleconsultation, implemented at the Telehealth/RN in April 2014, is a practical and efficient strategy capable of ensuring health services and reaching those who live in remote areas. Knowing the demand for teleconsultations is extremely important, given that they provide the information needed to correct existing inadequacies related to care, management and/or education, as well as providing the basis for public policies that meet the demands of teleconsultation.