The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragmentation of the healthcare delivery systems and highlighted the role of resilient primary healthcare systems for a robust public health response during health emergencies. Primary care while being the first point of contact between the citizens and the health systems has received scant attention or targeted investments over the past several decades. Through this narrative review, we aim to outline the potential role of telehealth in augmenting health systems capacity. While teleconsultations have increased exponentially during the pandemic, evidence suggests that utilisation of primary care for non-emergency and non-COVID-19 conditions such as chronic medical conditions has significantly decreased, suggesting that most telemedicine utilisation has been to address an immediate crisis. In countries with pre-existing national digital health framework and enabling regulatory environments, telehealth interventions while strengthening the public health response to COVID-19 also supported the continuum of care at the primary care level. Even after COVID-19 is controlled, telemedicine has the potential to address persistent obstacles to primary care in the South East Asia region, including scarcity of trained healthcare workers, access challenges and costs associated with in-person care. Telemedicine holds promise in strengthening primary care and has the potential to catalyse achieving universal health coverage. No data are available.

中文翻译：

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远程医疗支持加强世卫组织东南亚地区的初级保健：来自 COVID-19 大流行经验的教训

COVID-19 大流行暴露了医疗保健提供系统的碎片化，并突出了有弹性的初级医疗保健系统在突发卫生事件期间对强有力的公共卫生响应的作用。在过去的几十年中，初级保健虽然是公民与卫生系统之间的第一个接触点，但很少受到关注或有针对性的投资。通过这篇叙述性评论，我们旨在概述远程医疗在增强卫生系统能力方面的潜在作用。虽然在大流行期间远程会诊呈指数级增长，但有证据表明，对非紧急和非 COVID-19 疾病（例如慢性疾病）的初级保健的利用已显着减少，这表明大多数远程医疗的利用是为了解决眼前的危机。在已有国家数字卫生框架和有利监管环境的国家，远程医疗干预在加强对 COVID-19 的公共卫生响应的同时，也支持初级保健水平的连续护理。即使在 COVID-19 得到控制之后，远程医疗仍有可能解决东南亚地区初级保健的持续障碍，包括训练有素的医护人员的稀缺、获取挑战和与亲自护理相关的成本。远程医疗有望加强初级保健，并有可能促进实现全民健康覆盖。没有可用数据。远程医疗干预在加强对 COVID-19 的公共卫生反应的同时，也支持了初级保健水平的连续护理。即使在 COVID-19 得到控制之后，远程医疗仍有可能解决东南亚地区初级保健的持续障碍，包括训练有素的医护人员的稀缺、获取挑战和与亲自护理相关的成本。远程医疗有望加强初级保健，并有可能促进实现全民健康覆盖。没有可用数据。远程医疗干预在加强对 COVID-19 的公共卫生反应的同时，也支持了初级保健水平的连续护理。即使在 COVID-19 得到控制之后，远程医疗仍有可能解决东南亚地区初级保健的持续障碍，包括训练有素的医护人员的稀缺、获取挑战和与亲自护理相关的成本。远程医疗有望加强初级保健，并有可能促进实现全民健康覆盖。没有可用数据。远程医疗有望加强初级保健，并有可能促进实现全民健康覆盖。没有可用数据。远程医疗有望加强初级保健，并有可能促进实现全民健康覆盖。没有可用数据。