TELEMEDICINE AS A PERMANENT STRATEGY OF THE BRAZILIAN UNIFIED HEALTH SYSTEM (SUS) TO EXPAND ACCESS, IMPROVE QUALITY OF CARE, AND ENHANCE TERRITORIAL EQUITY

Abstract

Considering the historically present territorial inequalities in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) and the challenges related to timely access and quality of care, the incorporation of telemedicine has been presented as a structuring strategy within the scope of public health policies. This study aims to analyze telemedicine as a permanent strategy of the SUS to expand access, improve the quality of care, and promote territorial equity, based on an examination of the current normative and institutional framework in the country. To this end, an integrative literature review was conducted, following the methodological steps proposed by Mendes, Silveira, and Galvão, with analysis of normative documents, scientific articles, and institutional productions available in the PubMed, SciELO, and Virtual Health Library databases, using controlled descriptors extracted from the DeCS and MeSH vocabularies. Thus, it is observed that the normative consolidation of telehealth, especially after Law No. 14,510/2022 and Ordinance GM/MS No. 1,348/2022, repositions telemedicine as a permanent component of the organization of care in the SUS (Brazilian Unified Health System), with the potential to reorganize care flows, strengthen Primary Health Care, and reduce territorial inequalities. The analyzed results indicate institutional, care, and economic advances associated with the technological mediation of care, although challenges related to governance, network integration, and the sustainability of the strategy persist. It is concluded that telemedicine, when incorporated in a structured and continuous manner, constitutes a relevant tool for expanding access and equity in the SUS, provided it is articulated with systemic planning and the guidelines of the public health system.