Psychology, among the most requested health services by telemedicine during the pandemic in Colombia

Two years after the start of the covid-19 pandemic in Colombia, the Ministry of Health revealed that, between March 2020 and November 2021, the number of teleconsultations increased in the country, with general medicine and psychology being the most requested services through virtual medical consultations.

According to the Ministry, during this period of time, thanks to the pandemic, 127,404,668 teleorientations and teleconsultations were consolidated in the country, equivalent to 6,066,989 average consultations per month.

In this regard, the official highlighted that, between December 2020 and December 2021, there was a 25% increase in the supply of services through telemedicine at the provider headquarters that provide it, and a 12% increase in services enabled.

According to the Deputy Minister of Health, during that period, the telemedicine services most requested by Colombians were: general medicine, with 8.36 per cent; psychology, with 6.88 per cent; internal medicine, with 6.46 per cent; pediatrics, with 5.34 per cent; and nutrition and dietetics, with 5.30 per cent.

These services were followed by gyneco-obstetrics (4.57%); dermatology (3.40%); orthopedics and/or traumatology (3.10%); nursing (2.81%); psychiatry (2.36%); cardiology (2.35%); neurology (2.21%); physiotherapy (2.19%); and other specialty consultations (2.17%).

Regarding the regions of the country where teleconsultations were most reported during the pandemic, the Deputy Minister of Health reported that 76% of telemedicine services offered throughout the country were registered in Antioquia, Bogotá, Valle del Cauca, Cundinamarca, Santander, Barranquilla, Cordoba, Nariño, Cartagena and Cesar.

In view of the positive figures, the Deputy Minister of Public Health announced that, from the portfolio, an administrative act is being carried out, which establishes the points that must be kept in the area of health in the country after the expiry of Decree 538 of 2020, which establishes the health services that must be kept in the country will be provided during the health emergency.

“It is in the Ministry's interest to maintain the progress achieved during the pandemic and to promote that the transitional offer is maintained as far as possible, but with compliance with the standards and quality criteria established in current regulations,” concluded Deputy Minister Escobar.

On March 18, the Ministry of Health also announced that, in recent weeks, there has been a decrease in cases of covid-19 in the country, as well as the number of deaths due to the disease.

As reported by the coordinator of the Public Health Surveillance Group of the Department of Epidemiology and Demography of the Ministry of Health, María Belén Jaimes, in the daily reports of covid the daily number of deaths from the virus has started to range from 25 to 35 deaths, a figure that had not been recorded since the end of the last year semester.

However, the official pointed out that the death curve of people aged 70, 80 and over continues to be high, so she called on the elderly population to apply their booster dose, and thus avoid further deaths in the country due to covid-19.

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