Telehealth in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory: Challenges in Building Service Flows as a Strategy to Improve Health Care

Objective: Telehealth, through information and communication technologies, has been highlighted as an important tool for improving access and efficiency to healthcare, especially in remote areas, such as the Yanomami territory, by promoting inclusion and equity. The study describes the organization of the provision of Telehealth services, with the construction of teleconsultation and teleinterconsultation flows for health professionals working in the Yanomami territory. Method: The methodology involved joint action, carried out by the Telehealth Centers of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) and the Telehealth Center of the Federal University of Roraima (UFRR), both supported by the Department of Information and Digital Health (SEIDIGI) of the Ministry of Health, including diagnosis of the indigenous health system, service mapping and validation of care flows. Results and Discussion: The results indicate that geographic and cultural barriers and professional turnover compromise care. Research Implications: The listed telehealth solutions are a promising strategy to improve team effectiveness and ensure efficient care in Indigenous areas. They promote greater retention of professionals and traditional knowledge integration into the health system but with the necessary infrastructure strengthening. Originality/Value: The proposal is innovative in combining the use of information and communication technologies, while valuing ethnic and cultural issues in health care.