Persisting Barriers to the Adoption of Telemedicine in Latin America After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The pandemic spurred a rapid uptake of telemedicine by sidelining or overcoming the various challenges of implementing remote patient-care solutions, identified in numerous studies. Although the pandemic was the major factor driving adoption of telemedicine and telehealth, there are still several barriers that health systems need to address. However, health care administrators can rely on this modality of care as evidence largely shows that it is safe, effective, and widely accepted. This technical report gives a broad-strokes update on the development of telemedicine after the COVID pandemic in Chile, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia—the four countries that made the greatest strides in the field of telemedicine and telehealth in Latin America, identifying which barriers still persist to its full integration into the health system.