Can advanced technologies help address the global increase in demand for specialized medical care and improve telehealth services?

The article discusses the implementation of a telemedicine program called RegulaSUS to address the increasing demand for specialized medical care and reduce waiting times for consultation. The program was evaluated through a retrospective cohort analysis, comparing patients who participated in the program to control patients on the waitlist. The results showed that the telemedicine program led to a shorter referral-to-consultation time and a reduction in the number of waitlisted patients. However, the waiting period for specialist consultation still remains a concern. The article suggests that advanced technologies like large language models (LLMs) such as chatGPT could be used to improve telehealth services by providing scalable and personalized care. It also highlights the potential of LLMs to address issues of bias and diversity in healthcare. However, the limitations of LLMs, such as the need for reliable internet access and potential errors in understanding and processing information, should be considered. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of carefully evaluating and addressing the limitations and potential downsides of LLMs to ensure their ethical use in telehealth. [Extracted from the article]