title: [An overview of telehealth initiatives in Latin America].
abstract: This article aimed to systematize the views on telehealth in Latin America and to present the experience of building an instrument for monitoring the development of telehealth initiatives based on the reality of this region. A group was structured to coordinate telehealth efforts in Latin America, with members appointed by the ministries of health of 16 countries. Five thematic groups were also set up. Based on international experiences and focusing on the reality of telehealth in the continent, an instrument was created to monitor the development of telehealth in Latin America. Several countries have national telehealth projects: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama. Others are in the process of development and early deployment: Bolivia, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, Venezuela. The instrument described in the article, which is still being tested, proposes a characterization of countries according to their telehealth development stage: nonexistent, nascent, intermediate, advanced, and exemplary. Currently, important telehealth initiatives are already underway in Latin America.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Telessaúde, Centro de Tecnologia em Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Alaneir de Fátima
authors.initials: Ade F
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Pan American Health Organization, Knowledge Management, Bioethics and Research, Washington, D.C., Estados Unidos da América.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
authors.affiliation: Banco Interamericano de Desenvolvimento, Washington, D.C.
authors.forename: Maurício Simon
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Bouskela
authors.affiliation: División de Desarrollo Social, Comisión Económica para América Latina, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernandéz
authors.forename: Luiz Ary
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Telessaúde, Centro de Tecnologia em Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Humberto José
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Alves
mesh_terms: D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000458:organization & administration