Micro-Costing of a Remotely Operated Referral Management System to Secondary Care in the Unified Health System in Brazil.

Referral of cases from primary to secondary care in the Brazilian public healthcare system is one of the most important issues to be tackled. Telehealth strategies have been shown effective in avoiding unnecessary referrals. The objective of this study was to estimate cost per referred case by a remotely operated referral management system to further inform the decision making on the topic.

Telehealth to support referral management in a universal health system: a before-and-after study.

Background: Management of patient flow within a healthcare network, allowing equitable and qualified access to healthcare, is a major challenge for universal health systems. Implementation of telehealth strategies to support referral management has been shown to increase primary care resolution and to promote coordination of care. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of telehealth strategies on waiting lists and waiting times for specialized care in Brazil.

Telehealth for Supporting Referrals to Specialized Care During COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to the suspension or postponement of care for non-urgent conditions worldwide. is an initiative of the Unified Health System (SUS) in Brazil to optimize the management of referrals to specialized care by using telehealth. To report the expansion of telehealth activities of in response to COVID-19 and to assess qualification of referrals in primary health care (PHC) units as well as the added value of teleconsultation in qualifying referral cases.