ABSTRACT
Background: In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, teleconsultation was considered an important instrument in the fight against the health crisis, with temporary mandates changing the current legislation to expand its use. This study examined the perceptions of health care providers and users regarding teleconsultation. Methods: The study consisted of a national survey of 1,089 participants, of which 480 were health care providers and 609 were users, carried out through two semistructured questionnaires administered between June and August 2020, using six categories of analysis for teleconsultation-quality, remuneration, duties and responsibilities, experience and positioning regarding use, and technology-and an additional question about the benefits and harms of telemedicine. Results: The research indicated that, although face-to-face care is favored, there is an important movement toward accepting virtual care, even though there are relative differences in perception regarding the six categories analyzed. Discussion: Regarding the benefits of telemedicine, issues such as access, practicality, agility, convenience, easiness, and speed stood out as well as concerns such as contact, quality, impersonality, distance, errors, and falsehood, among others. Conclusions: Although there is evidence of benefits and limitations, bringing to light that contributions from the perception of health care providers and users can help promote debates to establish teleconsultation on a permanent basis in Brazil.
ABSTRACT
The article aims to make a theoretical and political discussion of the concept of the Health Economic-Industrial Complex (CEIS), updating the concept to a contemporary context of technological transformation and of challenges for universal health systems, particular the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS). In a context of asymmetric globalization, of emergence of a technological revolution, and of the (re)placement of structural barriers that keeps Brazilian society in its historical movement of inequality, vulnerability, and exclusion, we need to rethink healthcare by resuming and updating an agenda that privileges the historical-structural factors of Brazilian society, the international insertion of the country, and its relationship with an extremely asymmetric diffusion of technical progress, knowledge, and learning, dissociated from local social and environmental needs. With a methodology that involves the analysis of the brazilian response to COVID-19, the commercial balance of the CEIS, and the access to COVID-19 vaccines, the study shows that health is a central part of the economic and social structure and reproduces the characteristics of the national development pattern within it. An equitable society, with quality of life, committed to social rights and the environment is structurally conditioned by the existence of an economic and material basis that supports it. This systemic and dialectical view is the main theoretical and political contribution intended by our study, which seeks to contribute to a collective health approach integrated with a political economy view.
O artigo tem como objetivo fazer uma discussão teórica e política do conceito do Complexo Econômico-Industrial da Saúde (CEIS), atualizando a visão para o contexto contemporâneo de transformação tecnológica e dos desafios para os sistemas universais de saúde e do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), em particular. Em um contexto de globalização assimétrica, de emergência de uma revolução tecnológica e de (re)colocação de barreiras estruturais que trancam a sociedade brasileira em seu movimento histórico de desigualdade, vulnerabilidade e exclusão, necessitamos repensar a saúde, retomando e atualizando uma agenda que privilegia os fatores histórico-estruturais da sociedade brasileira, a inserção internacional do País e sua relação com uma difusão extremamente assimétrica do progresso técnico, do conhecimento e do aprendizado, dissociados das necessidades sociais e ambientais locais. Mediante uma metodologia que envolve a análise da resposta brasileira à COVID-19, da balança comercial do CEIS e do acesso a vacinas para COVID-19, o artigo evidencia que a saúde é parte central da estrutura econômica e social e reproduz as características do padrão de desenvolvimento nacional em seu interior. Uma sociedade equânime, com qualidade de vida, comprometida com os direitos sociais e o meio ambiente é condicionada pela existência de uma base econômica e material que lhe dê sustentação. Essa visão sistêmica e dialética é a principal contribuição teórica e política pretendida pelo artigo, que procura contribuir para uma abordagem de saúde coletiva integrada com uma visão de economia política.
Este artículo tiene como objetivo plantear una discusión teórica y política del concepto de Complejo Económico-Industrial de la Salud (CEIS), actualizando la visión para el contexto contemporáneo de transformación tecnológica y de los desafíos para los sistemas universales de salud y el Sistema Único de Salud (SUS), en particular. En un contexto de globalización asimétrica, de emergencia de una revolución tecnológica y de (re)colocación de barreras estructurales que encierran a la sociedad brasileña en su movimiento histórico de desigualdad, vulnerabilidad y exclusión, necesitamos repensar la salud, retomando y actualizando una agenda que privilegia los factores histórico-estructurales de la sociedad brasileña, la inserción internacional del País y su relación con una difusión extremadamente asimétrica del progreso técnico, del conocimiento y del aprendizaje, disociados de las necesidades sociales y ambientales locales. Por medio de una metodología que implica el análisis de la respuesta brasileña a la COVID-19, la balanza comercial del CEIS y el acceso a las vacunas contra la COVID-19, este artículo pone de manifiesto que la salud es parte central de la estructura económica y social y reproduce las características del estándar de desarrollo nacional en su interior. Una sociedad equitativa, con calidad de vida, comprometida con los derechos sociales y el medio ambiente está condicionada estructuralmente por la existencia de una base económica y material que la sustente. Esta visión sistémica y dialéctica es el principal aporte teórico y político pretendido por el artículo, que busca contribuir a un abordaje de la salud colectiva integrado con una visión de economía política.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , National Health Programs , Brazil , COVID-19 Vaccines , Health Policy , Humans , Quality of LifeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread throughout more than 160 countries, infecting millions of people worldwide. To address this health emergency, countries have organized the flow of production and innovation to reduce the impact on health. This article shows the response of the Brazilian scientific community to meet the urgent needs of the public unified health system [SUS], aiming to guarantee universal access to an estimated population of 211 million. By December 2020, Brazil had recorded more than six million cases and approximately 175,000 deaths. METHODS: We collected data on research, development and innovation projects carried out by 114 public universities (plus Oswaldo Cruz Foundation [Fiocruz] and Butantan Institute), as reported on their websites. Additionally, we examined the studies on COVID-19 approved by the National Comission for Research Ethics, as well as those reported on the Ministry of Education website as of May 15, 2020. RESULTS: The 789 identified projects were classified according to research categories as follows: development and innovation (n = 280), other types of projects (n = 226), epidemiologic research (n = 211), and basic research on disease mechanisms (n = 72). Most proposals focused on the development and innovation of personal protective equipment, medical devices, diagnostic tests, medicines and vaccines, which were rapidly identified as research priorities by the scientific community. Some promising results have been observed from phase III vaccine trials, one of which is conducted in partnership with Oxford University and another of which is performed with Sinovac Biotech. Both trials involve thousands of volunteers in their Brazilian arms and include technology transfer agreements with Fiocruz and the Butantan Institute, respectively. These vaccines proved to be safe and effective and were immediately licensed for emergency use. The provision of doses for the public health system, and vaccination, started on January 17, 2021. CONCLUSIONS: The mobilized Brazilian scientific community has generated comprehensive research, development and innovation proposals to meet the most urgent needs. It is important to emphasize that this response was only possible due to decades of investment in research, development and innovation in Brazil. We need to reinforce and protect the Brazilian science, technology and innovation system from austerity policies that disregard health and knowledge as crucial investments for Brazilian society, in line with the constitutional right of universal health access and universal health coverage.