Difusão de inovação na área da saúde humama: Um estudo para o Telessaúde no Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

Telehealth, through information and communication technology (ICT), contributes to improve health care, qualifying professionals and seeking to eliminate inefficiencies in primary health care. The Telehealth Brazil Networks Program develops as a strategy to bring health care closer together providing specialized care to the Family Health Strategy Teams. It focuses on the diffusion process, as this process is critical to expand the use of technology in society, being a way to understand how public investments directed to this technology reach the goal of expanding the population's access to health services. In this contexto, the present study analyzes the diffusion of innovation of the Telessaúde Program in Rio Grande do Sul, from the perception of teleconsultants, doctors and nurses to understand the determinants of diffusion. The methodology used is qualitative, with exploratory character, conducted bibliographic, documentary and field research. Data were collected from the interviews. Twenty-seven (27) professionals were interviewed, initially in november 2018, with Program Coordinators in Rio Grande do Sul, and then, between april and May. of 2019, with Teleconsultants and Family Health Strategy professionals, in the municipalities of Porto Alegre and Cruz Alta, RS. The results identified the Municipal Secretariats with an important role in the dissemination of the program to the Health Strategy Family teams, being considered an agent that promotes the diffusion. The essence of the diffusion process is the transmission of innovation that occurs through the efforts of the municipal health coordinators, but still into political decisions, a conflict of interest that generates loss of interrelationship among members of the social system. The process of diffusion of Telehealth is considered as a relative advantage for bringing resoluteness and democratizing evidence. It is considered of low complexity, but may still be more widespread.