Web-based asynchronous teleconsulting for consumers in Colombia: a 2-year follow up.
BACKGROUND
Remote consultation was implemented in 2006 in our institution, through an open-access Web-based Teleconsulting service: Doctor Chat. This tool was created with the aim of improving access to health care services in Colombia, especially in underserved areas.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper is to report our experience with the free Web-based application for teleconsultation.


METHODS
After validating the tool, we analyzed the queries submitted between May 2007 and June 2009. Requests were classified into three axes: purpose of the query, specialty, and geographic area of origin. Descriptive statistics were gathered for each category (name, email, city, country, age, gender).


RESULTS
We received 1624 consultations, with an average of 59 requests per month. 52.7% of the users were aged 18 to 29 years. Users asked mainly about sexual and reproductive health issues. 79.2% of consultations came from Colombia and 32.91% of the users were students.


CONCLUSIONS
Doctor Chat is an innovative tool to deliver health care information, but advertising, preventive and technical strategies must be implemented to improve its impact on Colombia's health system.
Valenzuela
José Ignacio
JI
Centro de Educación Virtual y Simulación e-Health, División de Educación, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia. jose.valenzuela@fsfb.edu.co
López
Catalina
C
Guzmán
Yuli
Y
Fajardo
Roosevelt
R
D003105:Colombia; D003256:Community Participation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods*; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*