Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the adoption, scope, and effectiveness of the Telehealth Service launched by health insurance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina. DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional study. SETTING: Outpatient teleconsultation for adults, pediatrics and dentistry following a primary care approach. PARTICIPANTS: 18,300 patients (5.7% of insured population) were attended during the first year of the health emergency by COVID 19. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: number of teleconsultations, patients’ characteristics, geographical distribution, waiting and attention times, completed and canceled appointments, reasons for consultation, and resources. RESULTS: A total of 132,142 teleconsultations were analyzed. In the first quarter of 2021, the interannual variation was 515% compared to 2020. The population served consisted of adults of average age of 32 years, (59% female). In pediatrics, the average age was 5.3 years (44% female). The geographical scope was national, most teleconsultations were in Buenos Aires (50%), Federal Capital (18%), and Córdoba (10%). The most common health problems were related to COVID-19, prescription refills, rhinopharyngitis, and gastroenteritis. Average attention times ranged from 6-7 minutes and waiting room time was 3 to 6 minutes. There were 86% of successful consultations and 7-11% of canceled consultations due to connection issues. On average, patients ranked the satisfaction with the service with 4.5 points on a scale out of 5. The team consisted of 97 doctors with a generalist training profile. CONCLUSIONS: The teleconsultations facilitated accessibility to primary healthcare and prompt resolution of queries with comprehensive national coverage. More research is needed to strengthen telemedicine access and safety policies.