Teleconsultations in the management of waiting lists for medical specialties: Experience report from Southern Brazil

Abstract

The National Telehealth Program was created in 2007 in Brazil to offer telehealth services, aiming at the integration of care. In 2024, the SUS Digital Program was implemented to promote digital transformation in the Unified Health System (SUS), including teleconsulting to support Primary Health Care. This article aims to report the implementation of teleconsulting in Criciúma, in the state of Santa Catarina, between 2023 and 2024, as a management tool to reduce waiting lists for medical specialties. A descriptive analysis of the data was conducted in relation to the total number of teleconsultations performed by specialty, time, and waiting times before and after implementation. The results indicate that 72.4% of cases were resolved in Primary Health Care, avoiding unnecessary referrals. The most attended specialties were orthopedics, neurology, and cardiology. There was a reduction in pent-up demand, from 15.842 to 1.061 patients, and in the average waiting time, from 14.8 to 6.5 months. It is concluded that teleconsulting is effective in reducing referrals and improving access to specialties, with the potential to strengthen the resolution of Primary Health Care and optimize the management of waiting lists in the municipality of Criciúma.