Specialized care in primary health care via telemedicine in Northeastern Brazil
1
Corporate Social Responsibility, Moinhos de Vento Hospital, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Health inequities are influenced by territorial extension and the distribution of physician density, being a greater concern in regions with low human development index, such as Northeastern Brazil1,2. Telemedicine has emerged as a strategy to reduce inequities, improve efficiency of care and increase patient satisfaction3-5. Within this context, TeleNordeste was implemented as a care and research project, developed under the Institutional Development Support Program of the Unified Health System of Brazil to provide teleinterconsultations between specialists, primary health care (PHC) physicians, and patients in the fields of cardiology, neurology, psychiatry, endocrinology, internal medicine, pediatrics, nutrition, and nursing6-8. Our objective was to describe the TeleNordeste project and its results.
METHODS:
A descriptive study was conducted to analyze the implementation of TeleNordeste and interconsultations carried out between January 2024 and August 2025. Outcomes assessed included utilization, case resolution, absenteeism, and Net Promoter Score (NPS) of both patients and PHC professionals.
RESULTS:
The TeleNordeste project was implemented in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, located in Northeastern Brazil. Initial steps included a situational assessment and on-site visits. A total of 19656 interconsultations were offered, of which 10719 were completed; 25% of these were follow-ups. Patient complaints were resolved in 99% of cases without the need for in-person specialist referral. The absenteeism rate was 21%. The NPS of PHC professionals and patients was 97 and 92 points, respectively, both within the excellence zone.
CONCLUSIONS:
TeleNordeste has proven to be a feasible and effective model for expanding access to specialized care in underserved areas of Northeastern Brazil6-8. By enabling real-time counter-referral, the project strengthens PHC, supports continuity of care and enhances professional capacity-building6-8. This approach reduces unnecessary referrals and ensures that PHC-sensitive conditions are appropriately managed at the primary care level6-8.
Health inequities are influenced by territorial extension and the distribution of physician density, being a greater concern in regions with low human development index, such as Northeastern Brazil1,2. Telemedicine has emerged as a strategy to reduce inequities, improve efficiency of care and increase patient satisfaction3-5. Within this context, TeleNordeste was implemented as a care and research project, developed under the Institutional Development Support Program of the Unified Health System of Brazil to provide teleinterconsultations between specialists, primary health care (PHC) physicians, and patients in the fields of cardiology, neurology, psychiatry, endocrinology, internal medicine, pediatrics, nutrition, and nursing6-8. Our objective was to describe the TeleNordeste project and its results.
METHODS:
A descriptive study was conducted to analyze the implementation of TeleNordeste and interconsultations carried out between January 2024 and August 2025. Outcomes assessed included utilization, case resolution, absenteeism, and Net Promoter Score (NPS) of both patients and PHC professionals.
RESULTS:
The TeleNordeste project was implemented in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, located in Northeastern Brazil. Initial steps included a situational assessment and on-site visits. A total of 19656 interconsultations were offered, of which 10719 were completed; 25% of these were follow-ups. Patient complaints were resolved in 99% of cases without the need for in-person specialist referral. The absenteeism rate was 21%. The NPS of PHC professionals and patients was 97 and 92 points, respectively, both within the excellence zone.
CONCLUSIONS:
TeleNordeste has proven to be a feasible and effective model for expanding access to specialized care in underserved areas of Northeastern Brazil6-8. By enabling real-time counter-referral, the project strengthens PHC, supports continuity of care and enhances professional capacity-building6-8. This approach reduces unnecessary referrals and ensures that PHC-sensitive conditions are appropriately managed at the primary care level6-8.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
