On May 16, a unit of the University Network of Telemedicine (Rute) was opened at the Galeão Air Force Hospital (HFAG), in Rio de Janeiro. It is the first healthcare unit of the Armed Forces to adhere to the initiative, which is considered the largest in the world in telemedicine and telehealth education and research institutions. With that, staff and patients shall benefit from a high-capacity infrastructure for the treatment of illnesses, by means of distance diagnoses, permanent education and remote examination of data in the medical care.

In the opinion of Major Eucir Rabello, responsible for the service, this opportunity will optimize and expand the hospital’s work. ‘‘Based on such technology, we will cut costs, make communication faster and promote scientific development”.

According to the Major, in addition to playing a large role within the HFAG healthcare system, being a high-complexity hospital, the network shall also improve the associates’ knowledge. “The residents and interns will be able to watch surgeries without being present, through videoconference, for example. This is one of many possibilities we foresee with the fast advancement of the service”, he said.

Rute is an initiative from the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications (MCTIC), supported by the Studies and Projects Fund (Finep) and by the Brazilian Association of University and Teaching Hospitals (Abrahue). Coordinated by the Brazilian National Research and Educational Network (RNP), it encompasses about 387 institutions that take part in the Special Interest Groups and includes over 120 telemedicine and telehealth units in university and teaching hospitals, launched in fully operational, all over Brazil.

It allows the use of applications that demand more network resources and the sharing of the information of the telemedicine services of the university hospitals and teaching and research institutions that take part in it. In addition, Rute brings the services developed at the country’s university hospitals to professionals located at distant cities, by means of the sharing of patients’ records, consultations, exams and second opinion files.