In March 2020, Peru declared a health emergency owing to the COVID-19 global pandemic and the Ministry of Health recommended suspending external consultations and diagnostic tests to avoid exposing the population to infection by the new coronavirus.
The EsSalud - Social Health Insurance Institute (EsSalud - Seguro Social de Salud) which is responsible for 29 health networks and nearly 12 million insured persons, experienced an interruption in its patient care. Against this backdrop, a new process was designed for the provision of remote care for patients with chronic illnesses. The process also allowed direct communication between doctors and patients, facilitating access to patients’ clinical history and promotion of their well-being, offering them continuity of high-quality treatment.
This new type of teleconsultation has marked a milestone in social health insurance by ushering in a new health service that has ensured the continuity of over half a million consultations. By doing so, it has demonstrated that its process design has effectively ensured proper use of resources, quality care and the emotional and physical satisfaction of patients.