Telenutrition promoting equity of access in the SUS: a descriptive study
Keywords:
Telenutrition, Referral and consultation, Effective access to health services, Digital public health, Public health, Primary care, Equity of access, Nutritional care, Sistema Único de Saúde, Proadi-SUSAbstract
BACKGROUND: In the area of nutrition, telehealth regulations were established on October 22, 2023, through Resolution No. 760, which defines and regulates telenutrition as a form of care and/or provision of services in food and nutrition through Information and Communication Technologies.
OBJECTIVES: To present the profile of telenutrition users in the TeleNordeste-BP project. Design and setting: Descriptive study carried out by hospital BP – A Beneficência Portuguesa de São Paulo.
METHODS: All services were provided through teleconsultation with nutritionists from the TeleNordeste project between May and December 2023.
RESULTS: Of the 884 services, 873 (98.8%) were tele-interconsultation. The distribution of services by state was: 430 (48.6%) from Maranhão; 301 (34%) from Alagoas and 153 (17.3%) are from patients from Piauí. Among the services provided, 671 (75.9%) users were female and 213 (24.1%) were male; the average age was 39.54 years (standard deviation +/− 19.9). Most adult patients were overweight: 135 (25.9%) were classified as overweight, 121 (23.2%) as grade 1 obese, 100 (19.2%) as grade 2 obese, and 66 (12.6%) as grade 3 obese.
CONCLUSION: chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were the main reasons for seeking nutritional services, with more than 90% of the main reasons for consultation. Access to the telenutrition service offered by the TeleNordeste-BP project not only impacted the patient in ensuring access to nutritional care but also enabled the increase of Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional (VAN).
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