Implementation of telemedicine in indigenous people’s healthcare in Brazil

Abstract

The Brazilian National Telemedicine Program in indigenous healthcare assists health professionals working in remote areas in strengthening the healthcare provided to indigenous populations. The current study aimed to analyze the implementation of the National Telemedicine Program in indigenous people’s health, from the perspective of health administrators. This was a qualitative exploratory descriptive study using document analysis and open-ended interviews with 10 administrators. Content analysis resulted in two categories: the program’s process implementation and the potential of telemedicine for indigenous people’s healthcare. The results emphasize the importance of dialogue between all institutions involved and the construction of a democratic forum for evaluating this process and related decision-making: resumption of the program’s implementation and subsequently its expansion and improvement of the available resources and the search for other applicable strategies for indigenous people’s health. A broad discussion on this topic is recommended that involves the indigenous people’s strategies for social control.