Harvard Medical School Researchers Publish New Data on Telemedicine (The role of telemedicine in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia): Telemedicine

2025 DEC 02 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at CDC & FDA Daily -- Current study results on telemedicine have been published. According to news reporting originating from Boston, Massachusetts, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “BackgroundWith the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia, telemedicine ™ became a key strategy to sustain healthcare delivery for both acute and chronic conditions. This study aimed to describe the utilization and characteristics of TM during the pandemic in Colombia.”

The news editors obtained a quote from the research from Harvard Medical School: “MethodsWe conducted a retrospective, descriptive study using administrative and clinical records from a major Colombian health insurance provider covering approximately 15% of the national population. We analyzed all TM consultations between March 2020 and June 2021, assessing sociodemographic, geographic, and clinical characteristics. TM users and the overall insured population were described, and primary care unit (PCU) locations were georeferenced. ResultsA total of 10,016,931 individuals were enrolled in the health insurance plan, of whom 2,633,564 used TM services during the study period. TM users were predominantly female (62.8%) and aged 19-45 years (55.3%). Most belonged to low-income groups (64.9%) and were affiliated with the subsidized income level group. The most frequent diagnosis was COVID-19 (28.3%), followed by general symptoms and unspecified conditions (19.4%). Telemedicine was used nationwide, with higher concentrations in central and northern departments such as Antioquia and Bogota. ConclusionDuring the pandemic, telemedicine was widely adopted across Colombia and reached large segments of low-income populations, suggesting its potential to support healthcare access in diverse settings.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “While our descriptive design does not allow for causal claims about effectiveness or equity, these findings highlight the value of TM as a complementary healthcare delivery model. Continued investment in digital infrastructure, workforce training, and primary care networks will be essential for its long-term integration into Colombia’s health system.”

For more information on this research see: The role of telemedicine in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia. Frontiers in Public Health, 2025,13. (Frontiers in Public Health - http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/public-health). The publisher for Frontiers in Public Health is Frontiers Media S.A.

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1667349.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Susana Orrego Villegas, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States. Additional authors for this research include Eric Adjei Boakye, Jafet Arrieta, Karine Posada Espana, Melisa Naranjo Vanegas, Gloria Prado Pino.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)