Efeitos da capacitação em telessaúde na atenção primária sobre os encaminhamentos em cardiologia: Estudo retrospectivo

Objective: To evaluate the impact of telehealth qualification for Primary Health Care (PHC) physicians on the resolution capacity of cardiovascular disease care. Method: This is a quantitative, observational, and retrospective study using data from telehealth and referral systems from a state capital in the Midwest region [of Brazil], between 2023 and 2024. Frequencies, measures of central tendency, and dispersion were analyzed, in addition to the application of Pearson's chi-squared test. Results: Participants included 113 physicians trained in telehealth and 229 patients who received cardiology teleconsultations. A significant association was found between female professionals and the use of teleconsultation. Prior to implementation, 89 patients had a history of in-person referrals, a number that decreased to 60 after teleconsultation, representing a 73.8% drop. Physician training was directly linked to this reduction. The main demands included primary hypertension (43.3%), heart failure (14.2%), and arrhythmias (9.8%). Conclusion: Telehealth qualification is an effective strategy to increase the resolution capacity of PHC in cardiovascular care, reducing unnecessary referrals. Teleconsultation strengthens clinical management and contributes to optimizing the management of hypertension, heart failure, and arrhythmias, thereby favoring a reduction in morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases.