Evaluation of the Effects of Teleconsultations on a Endocrinology Referral List

Evaluation of the Effectivity of Teleconsultations for Improving the Referrals From Primary Care to Specialized Care of Patients With Chronic Endocrinological Conditions

The aim of this study is evaluate the effects of telephone teleconsultations to primary care physicians (compared to the state's referral protocol) in the referrals waiting list for endocrinological appointments.

Rio Grande do Sul state's referral list for endocrinology evaluation in specialized care is highly overloaded. There is currently a referral protocol to select patients how should be referred. It will be evaluated if a intervention of telephone-based teleconsultations provided by the TelessaúdeRS to the primary care physicians can provide additional benefits. TelessaúdeRS is a telehealth program from the University of Rio Grande do Sul. This will be evaluated in a cluster randomized clinical trial.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients from counties with at least 5 endocrinology referrals waiting appointment.
• Patients referred from primary care physicians
• Patients referred because one of the protocol conditions (Diabetes Mellitus, Hypothyroidism, Hyperthyroidism, Goiter, Thyroid nodule, Obesity).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients from counties with more than one hundred endocrinology referrals waiting appointment.