During the 2024–2025 biennium, PAHO played a key role in consolidating telehealth and teletriage as components of national policy in Chile, contributing to the strengthening of primary health care (PHC) toward a more resolutive, timely, and people-centered model. Through sustained technical cooperation, methodological development, capacity-building, and digital interoperability, PAHO supported the Ministry of Health in expanding and standardizing teletriage across the public health network, reaching all 29 health services and supporting its implementation in more than 400 family health centers.

This cooperation contributed to the institutionalization of a scalable operational model, integrated into routine care pathways and health information systems, with quality assurance mechanisms and monitoring dashboards to support real-time decision-making. In addition, the generation and use of evidence were promoted to guide the deployment of comprehensive care models and strengthen continuity of care within the framework of primary health care aimed at health for all.

As a result, the resolutive capacity of the first level of care was strengthened, contributing to improved demand management, reduced waiting times, and a timelier experience for users, particularly in territories facing geographic or access barriers. These advances contribute to improving effective access to comprehensive, quality services and to optimizing the use of health system resources, laying the foundations for resilient care aligned with the PAHO Forward initiative and Chile’s priorities.

Photo caption: Consolidation of teletriage and telehealth.  

Credit: Teletriage