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.