Telehealth: a proposed protocol for telemonitoring in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic

Introduction: facing COVID-19 pandemic, alternative measures were adopted to reduce community transmission and prevent the collapse of the health system. Objective: This paper was motivated by the authors' professional experience during the COVID19 pandemic. The study aims to improve a guide protocol of telemonitoring in the city of ContagemMG, which could ensuring standardization of care for confirmed and/ or suspected patients of COVID-19, in residential isolation. Method: documentary evidence, descriptive estudy based on a literature review, followed by the elaboration of a protocol presented as a flowchart. The study evaluated the data from telemonitoring in the city of Count from July 2020 to May 2021, and it was approved by the Ethics Committee. Results: 25,498 consultations were carried out by telemonitoring, and most patients had symptoms (80.5%) and were discharged by telecare (97.54%). Conclusion: The number of calls and the risk of worsening in people who have had symptoms are elements that demand rigor in the follow-up by call center. Therefore, they reinforce the need for a clinical protocol. The protocol was developed specifically for the city of count, it was made based on internal documents of the helth system of the city and also in empirical aspects. It is suggested to update with new discoveries about the disease..