Possible paths in the organization of a telemonitoring strategy in Basic Health Units during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to understand the perceptions of workers in Basic Health Units regarding the incorporation of telemonitoring actions for people with respiratory symptoms during the challenging context of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. 12 nurses inserted in the Family Health Strategy and a manager responsible for Primary Care in a medium-sized municipality in the interior of Paraná, intentionally selected, with at least 3 months of experience in health telemonitoring were included in the research. Everyone was interviewed, the material was audio-recorded, fully transcribed, participants were made anonymously and the data analyzed by different researchers using hermeneutics as a theoretical framework. The results highlighted the work agents, with varied organizational methods, involving different professionals and temporal flexibility in these telemonitoring arrangements. Regarding work instruments, a process of progressive appropriation of knowledge and adaptation of equipment, with private resources, over time was reported. Little by little, technologies for remote communication with the population were seen as allies in the implementation of health care in the territories, to the point that the recommendation for their adoption in daily work in basic health care became unanimous.