Bridging Learning in Medicine and Citizenship During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Telehealth-Based Strategy

Abstract

In the past six months, COVID-19 pandemic has been imposing lots of challenges for both health care practices and medical training. Here we described a strategy combining telehealth and medical training of 1,026 supervised students in assisting suspected cases at Bahia State -Brazil (population=14.8 millions). Information collected in this toll-free tele-screening service, named Tele-coronavirus, are registered in a custom application accessed by the local government. Among more than 60 thousand patients advised during 70 days of activity, 62.9% were recommended to stay at home, contributing to reduce virus spread and health services overwhelm.The opportunity of engagement of medical students in citizenship activities during epidemic may bring proximity to real-life activities and engagement with democratic and social values.

Note: Funding: TCS received funding sources from Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (VPGDI - 008-FIO-18). MB-N is a senior investigator fellow from CNPq (Brazilian National Research Council). The authors declare that did not recieve payment to write this article by a pharmaceutical company or other agency.

Declaration of Interest: None to declare

Keywords: telehealth, medicine, COVID-19