title: [Telehealth support for primary health care in remote municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the use, effectiveness, and resolubility of teleconsultation services provided to primary care units by the Telehealth Network of Minas Gerais, a public service providing teleconsultation and telediagnosis in cardiology to 821 health care sites.
  
  
  METHODS
  This observational retrospective study included teleconsultations carried out between April 2007 and December 2012. Teleconsultations performed from January to May 2010 and January to March 2012 were analyzed regarding the type of query asked by professionals using the service. A survey was carried out to evaluate resolubility and level of satisfaction with teleconsultations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, 47 689 teleconsultations were carried out. They were most often requested by nurses (53.2%) and physicians (34.3%), and were answered mainly by the following professionals: family physicians (23.3%), dermatologists (19.8%), gynecologists (10,7%), internal medicine physicians (8.8%), pediatricians (6.6%), and nurses (12.2%). The median population in the municipalities that requested teleconsultations was 6 778 (interquartile range [IQR]: 4 425 - 10 805). The median human development index (HDI) was 0.645 (IQR: 0.577 - 0.690). The most frequent queries regarded pharmacological treatment, non-pharmacological treatment, and etiology. Teleconsultations prevented potential referrals in 80% of the cases, and 94% of the health providers reported satisfaction with the service.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show that the Telehealth Network of Minas Gerais can help overcome physical barriers in the access to health care and that it may be an important and effective tool for continued health education.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina e Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Milena Soriano
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Marcolino
authors.affiliation: Rede de Teleassistência de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria Beatriz
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Alkmim
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina e Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Tati Guerra Pezzini
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Assis
authors.affiliation: Rede de Teleassistência de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Lidiane Aparecida Pereira de
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina e Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Antonio Luiz Pinho
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D002947:Cities; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D006801:Humans; D010820:Physicians; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D019114:Remote Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017216:Telemedicine