TELEMEDICINE IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: BENEFITS, LIMITATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES FOR THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF HEALTH SYSTEMS

Abstract

Introduction: digital transformation has driven the incorporation of Digital Health technologies into health systems, among which telemedicine stands out as a strategy capable of expanding access, improving care quality and strengthening the integration between professionals and users, especially in Primary Health Care (PHC). Objective: to critically analyze the available scientific evidence on the benefits and limitations of telemedicine in PHC, discussing its impact on access to services, quality of care, continuity of care, user and professional satisfaction, and the main challenges for its implementation. Methods: this is a narrative literature review, of a qualitative and descriptive nature, with a structured search in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Virtual Health Library (VHL) and SciELO databases, using MeSH and DeCS descriptors combined through Boolean operators, prioritizing studies published from 2020 onward. Results: telemedicine strengthens essential attributes of PHC, such as first-contact access, longitudinality, care coordination and comprehensiveness, with benefits related to expanded access, continuity of care in chronic diseases, strengthened coordination between levels of care, and user and professional satisfaction. Among the main limitations identified are digital exclusion, restrictions on remote physical examination, information security and interoperability challenges, and the risk of deepening health inequities. Conclusion: telemedicine represents a complementary tool, rather than a substitute, for in-person care in PHC, and its consolidation depends on investments in technological infrastructure, professional training, digital inclusion and Digital Health governance, requiring further multicenter studies and long-term impact assessments.