Contribution of the use of basic telemedicine tools to the care of children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis at the Puerto Montt Hospital, Chile.

UNLABELLED

Children and adolescents with rheumatologic diseases require specialized and comprehensive care, but pediatric rheumatologists and immunologists are concentrated in hospitals with specific, high-cost and modern technology. Considering that some patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) live in rural, remote and limited accessibility areas, the use of Telemedicine (TM) can optimize diag nosis, follow-up and prognosis.

OBJECTIVE

Reporting 10 years of experience of a mixed care model: face-to-face and distance, using basic TM; the institutional impact, advantages, disadvantages and acceptance informed by parents and patients.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

Exploratory, descriptive, and re trospective study with qualitative component. After the authorization of a scientific-ethics committee of the Reloncaví Health Service and the application of informed consent, a review of medical records was carried out and a qualitative survey was applied to parents and children over 14 years of age with JIA, seen between 2005-2015 in the pediatric ambulatory rheumatology polyclinic of Puerto Montt Hospital.

RESULTS

The were 27/35 participating patients with JIA attended by a trained pediatrician and assisted by distance (1,000 km) by an immunologist. The 8/35 patients did not answer by choice or change of address. The 70% of parents and patients accepted the model of care and 4% would pre fer sporadic care only by specialists for diagnosis and follow-up. The number of patients transferred annually decreased from 10 to 1. The advantages of the care model outweighed the disadvantages perceived by parents and JIA patients.

CONCLUSION

The use of TM tools in JIA decreased transfers, improved follow-up and were considered advantageous by patients and their parents.