[Remote consultation: information for Primary Care physicians]

Semergen. 2020 Nov-Dec;46(8):560-565. doi: 10.1016/j.semerg.2020.08.005. Epub 2020 Sep 30.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract
in English, Spanish

With the current pandemic, there is now the possibility of using technological tools, such as teleconsultation or remote consultation. In rural or even semi-urban areas, access to medical services may be restricted due to transportation problems. In other places access to the consultations is limited to avoid contagion from the patient or healthcare personnel. This is why technological solutions are used to allow us to monitor our patients remotely, especially in the case of chronic patients, or as a form of triage to potential patients with coronavirus. Unfortunately, this type of system has not been used with the same continuity as in other countries, and very often our health personnel do not know the correct way to carry out a teleconsultation (by phone or video). With this document, an initial guide is presented on how to make a teleconsultation in Primary Care.

Con la pandemia actual se ha abierto la posibilidad de usar herramientas tecnológicas, como la teleconsulta o consulta no presencial. En zonas rurales, o incluso en zonas semiurbanas, el acceso a servicios médicos puede verse restringido debido a problemas de transporte; en otros lugares el acceso a las consultas se ve limitado para evitar el contagio del paciente o del personal sanitario. Por estas razones se utilizan soluciones tecnológicas que permitan controlar a los pacientes a distancia, especialmente en el caso de pacientes crónicos, o como una forma de triaje a posibles pacientes con coronavirus.

Lamentablemente este tipo de sistemas no se ha utilizado con la misma continuidad que en otros países y muchas veces nuestro personal sanitario desconoce la manera correcta de hacer una teleconsulta (por teléfono o video). Con este documento queremos ayudar a orientar de manera inicial cómo efectuar una teleconsulta en Atención Primaria.

Keywords: Teleasistencia; Telecare; Teleconsulta; Teleconsultation; Telehealth; Telemedicina; Telemedicine; Telesalud; e-health.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • COVID-19 / prevention & control
  • Clinical Decision-Making / methods
  • Family Practice / methods*
  • Health Services Accessibility
  • Humans
  • Physician-Patient Relations
  • Primary Health Care / methods*
  • Remote Consultation / methods*
  • Telephone
  • Videoconferencing