Hospital do Rio is the 1st to offer online consultation through SUS – 03/04/2023 – Health

SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde) patients can now undergo online consultations at Hupe (Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto), in Rio de Janeiro, the first public health unit in Brazil to offer this type of service, after the approval of a law that makes the so-called telehealth definitive.

Until last December, virtual care between doctor and patient was not allowed in the country, having been an exception in the pandemic. Now, the enactment of Law No. 14,510 authorizes the service definitively, provided there is patient consent and specialist indication.

The virtual consultation system at Hupe, a hospital that has been operating with telemedicine for two decades, was launched on February 13, but the consultations officially began last Wednesday (1st). The expectation is to perform 12,000 consultations per month in the first phase, dedicated exclusively to patients already assisted in the hospital.

When going through a remote consultation for the first time, industrial designer Juliana Souza da Silva, 42, said that the experience was comfortable for her, since she was sick on Wednesday and it was a relief not to have to go to the hospital.

“I was attended by psychology, a specialty that, I believe, serves the patient well in the distance modality, in most cases, without prejudice to the medical conduct. I liked the service and intend to continue using it. I hope it becomes popular and becomes more accessible.”

Juliana declares that it was simple for her to use the system due to the ease of connection. “I am a privileged part of the public at a SUS hospital, as I have stable internet, availability to stop my working hours to make the appointment and privacy to speak during the service.”

Hupe, which belongs to the health complex of UERJ (State University of Rio de Janeiro), offers 14 specialties in the virtual system, including psychologists, nutritionists, nursing, anesthesiology, vascular surgeon, palliative care and urology.

“These specialties are authorized to assist the patient remotely as long as they follow the regulations of the General Data Protection Law. The advantage of Hupe’s remote consultation is that the patient now has integrated care in a way that reduces the trip to the university hospital “, says physician Alexandra Monteiro, coordinator of the Teleconsultation Center of Hupe Digital and Telehealth UERJ.

Alexandra, who has been a public servant for 35 years, also says that by offering remote consultations, the expectation is to reduce queues. She explains that, many times, the patient goes to the doctor just to take tests, to check the preoperative period or even to undergo a control visit.

“There are cases where the patient is fine, but to return to the hospital there is a whole journey, with transport and food expenses. In addition to all the difficulties that we recognize there are still scheduling [de consultas]”, says the coordinator.

Psychologist Luiny de Medeiros, 26, who assisted Juliana, works in a hybrid scheme (both online and face-to-face) and says that during the pandemic she adapted all the tools to welcome patients in the virtual format. She worked with the digital platforms available at the time.

“From the implementation of the new law, we were already in the elaboration of the project of teleassistance linked to Hupe. The new law guaranteed autonomy to the professional to decide on the use or not of telehealth. We can opt for face-to-face assistance whenever we deem it necessary”, says the psychologist.

Hupe has been dedicated for 20 years to the digitization of its services, such as electronic medical records, robotic surgery, digital radiology and interconsultation (virtual exchange of information between doctors, for example, to discuss a patient’s diagnosis).

Not all patients can access the system. For this reason, according to Alexandra, the hospital prefers that the first appointments are always face-to-face, as the user, after the appointment, goes to the Teleconsultation Center and already receives guidance on how to download the application, how to use it and how to complete the registration.

“Many people have their digital skills still under construction. It is an audience that we have to go through this learning curve for it to have enough capacity to use technology. As much as the application is simple to use, inclusive and palm-sized of the hand, there is an iniquity [para o uso de internet] in Brazil. And the patient deserves all our eyes.”

Alexandra remembers that there are basic prerogatives to use telehealth. There are situations in which this service should not be done remotely, such as life-threatening. “You can never remotely assist a patient in an emergency room. There has to be a clinical criterion of stability.”

The Ministry of Health confirms the pioneering spirit of the Rio de Janeiro hospital based on the new law, the first to offer teleconsultation through the SUS. He also states that since 2007, Hupe has been one of the main institutions to participate in the nuclei of the Telessaúde Brasil Program, which belongs to the portfolio.

The note from the folder continues to inform that the update of hospitals and services of the SUS that offer remote care is underway. According to the ministry, teleconsultation is important to qualify care, reduce distances and ensure continuity of patient health care, maintaining the user’s bond with the service.

according to Sheet showed in his series Professional Public of the Future, it is a challenge for the public service and for the country to improve telemedicine, with training of health workers.