Dr Jefferson Fernandes
The Digital Health Commission (CSD) of the Brazilian Medical Association (AMB) organized the panel “Telemedicine: The Art of Healing from a Distance” on July 25th, during the 3rd Annual AMB Medicine Congress, in São Paulo, Brazil.
The speakers included Dr. Ana Cláudia Pinto, Dr. Antonio Carlos Endrigo, President of the CSD, Dr Carlos Pedrotti, president of Digital Health Brasil, and Dr. Jefferson Fernandes, Vice-president of the CSD.
The panel provided extensive audience interaction, with relevant discussions on the use of telemedicine, particularly teleconsultations, in daily medical practice.
Dr. Jefferson emphasized that for centuries, doctors have practiced the art of caring in direct contact with patients, in the office, at the bedside, in the emergency room “… In the presence that welcomes… in the touch that examines… in the listening that comforts. Today we live in a new time. Telemedicine is not just a technological innovation. It is a method of care, which, like all methods, needs to be learned. It is a new form of presence. A presence that transcends distances. That breaks down barriers to access. That connects knowledge and care to those who need it, wherever they are. And most fascinating: it does not deny the human bond – it transforms it. It invites us to translate care into new languages: the language of the screen, of the precise voice, of the attentive look – even without touch. Caring from a distance requires sensitivity. It requires empathy. It requires listening. Because, in the end, what moves us doesn’t change: The desire to alleviate pain. To protect life. To be present – even from afar” .
Dr. Endrigo presented recent data on the use of telehealth by physicians in Brazil, institutions, and the evolution of digital remote care practices.
• 33% of physicians performed teleconsultations
• 23% of physicians used telemonitoring
• Specialties with the highest use: cardiology, psychiatry, dermatology, and endocrinology
• +30 million teleconsultations performed in 2023 (+172% vs. 2020–22)
• 57% growth between 2023 and 2024
Sources: https://www.pixeon.com/blog/desafios-da-telemedicina/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Dr. Ana Cláudia, in her approach, added the use of artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), to the topic of telemedicine. Below are some useful references she provided for further exploration of these topics:
1. Telehealth Initiative to Enhance Primary Care Access in Brazil (UBS+Digital Project): Multicenter Prospective Study. https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e68434
2. 100 LLM System Prompts for Healthcare Professionals: https://github.com/marcelotournier/workshop-openai-2024/blob/main/prompts.md#100-prompts-de-sistema-de-llms-para-profissionais-de-sa%C3%BAde
3. FDA List of Medical Devices Using AI/ML (Software as a Medical Device – SaMD) Authorized for Marketing in the US: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/software-medical-device-samd/artificial-intelligence-enabled-medical-devices.
Dr. Pedrotti highlighted fundamental issues related to good telemedicine and teleconsultation practices and recommended that attendees read the Manual of Good Telemedicine and Telehealth Practices, published by the SDB, which is available free of charge. via the link: https://saudedigitalbrasil.com.br/publicacoes.
The topics covered in this manual include Direct-to-Patient Telemedicine; Information Security; Electronic Prescription; and Interoperability. An updated edition will be available later this year.
We received highly positive feedback from this panel, which was part of the CSD’s activities, aiming to bring relevant information and knowledge about digital health to physicians and professionals working in this field. More to come.
