Telenephrology as a cost-benefit tool in public health

A descriptive analysis of the telenephrology tool is presented in order to resolve the AUGE guarantees of secondary prevention of terminal chronic kidney disease in the O'Higgins Health Service, due to the need to respond to compliance with the deadlines established by law. The incorporation of the telenephrology modality achieved a significant reduction in the number of expired secondary prevention guarantees for end-stage renal disease during the second half of 2017, from a total of 227 delayed guarantees in July to 6 in December, in addition to an increase in the number of care visits. In the present study, the use of telemedicine as a support to face-to-face care appears as an effective cost-benefit tool for the resolution of a specific care need, which can serve as a basis on which future studies should focus to confirm that the use of this tool can be cost-benefit effective in other specialties for the resolution of different health care needs of the beneficiary population.