Supply and demand
Brazilian health care establishments already provide a wide variety of telehealth services. However, according to 2021 data, only 18 percent of them offer teleconsultations. Similarly, remote patient monitoring and telediagnosis services are provided by one in every five health care institutions in the country. Teleconsultations are, however, not equally available among private and public sectors, amounting to 22 and 14 percent of health care establishments, respectively. Additionally, differences in offer also exist between regions, with Central-West the area with the highest share of health institutions offering these services, and with Northeast and South the regions with the lowest share.It is actually in the Northeast region, along with the Southeast where the largest share of internet users adopt teleconsultation services in the country, with nearly one in three taking part in remote medical appointments, according to 2021 figures. In average, the share of internet users who consulted a health professional online amounted to 26 percent. In 2020, the most sought out remote medical practice was general medicine, accounting for 32 percent of online patients. Psychology and nutrition followed, with 28 and nine percent, respectively.
Opportunities and constraints
With a growing demand, and constantly developing tools, telemedicine could provide the Brazilian health system with a complementary instrument to improve and spread health care services in the country. This could help address some of the population’s most common concerns regarding medical services, such as affordability of health care, waiting times, and an overstretched system. As the share of people using the internet in Brazil increases year to year, the possibility of reaching more citizens rises. However, besides a shortage in offer, factors such as lack of internet skills and lack of interest among some demographic groups might limit the reach of telemedicine services. In addition, other medicine-related constraints, such as the need to meet patients in person, highlight the possible boundaries of remote medical consultations. Looking forward, a well-established telemedicine market can nonetheless result complementary to in person health care services in the South American country.
