Telemedicine in Island Territories

Living on Chilean islands with limited connectivity presents considerable challenges for accessing in-person healthcare services, particularly in medical specialties and emergencies. The Telemedicine and Telehealth Regional Center of Biobío proposed innovative and participatory interventions involving local and mainland health ecosystem stakeholders. Addressing educational, technological, organizational, and community awareness challenges requires gathering information from health centers and communities to identify gaps and propose solutions tailored to local needs and capabilities. To address these challenges, we enabled satellite internet, coordinated actions with decision-makers, trained local health teams, and raised awareness among the population about the advantages and limitations of telemedicine. This innovation is part of a collaborative model that links academia, health centers, and government support, and it is framed in three theoretical models: The b-Health 2.0, The Community Engagement model, and the Primary Care–Oriented Digital Health approach. The result was an increase in care visits, improved case resolution, and access to specialist physicians and electronic medical records. It improved the digital skills of health personnel for their work. This initiative validates that telemedicine is a valuable tool in island settings and allows for its replication in other territories.