Prof. Chao Lung Wen, Head of the Telemedicine Discipline  at Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade São Paulo (FMUSP), was elected to resume the presidency of the Brazilian Association of Telemedicine and Telehealth (ABTms) until July 2024. ABTms emerged as the Brazilian Council of Telemedicine and Telehealth (CBTms) in 2002, and had Prof. Chao as one of the founding members and president from 2006-2013.

Currently, the organization promotes the exchange of knowledge and experiences between public and private entities, the technical-scientific community and international organizations working in the field of Telemedicine and Telehealth, stimulating the dissemination of good practices and the strengthening of teaching and research in favor of Brazilian society.

Telehealth is going through a decisive moment in the country with the publication of Ordinance 1,348 of the Ministry of Health (06/02/22), which regulates Telehealth actions and services in the Unified Health System (SUS), and the approval of the Telehealth Bill 1998/20 in the Commission of Social Affairs of the Federal Senate, which authorizes and regulates the practice of Telehealth throughout the national territory.

“It’s increasingly important to have an entity that promotes organizational development and good practices in Integrated Telehealth”, says Prof. Chao. “ABTms is the only current entity that can invite the councils of the 14 health professions to update their resolutions on the subject and support the identification of good practices and ethics in the application of digital tele technologies for health purposes”, he adds.

The professor also recalls that, if Bill 1998/20 is sanctioned, the teaching of telemedicine and telehealth would become mandatory in all health graduations, medical residency and multiprofessional residency. “In this situation, FMUSP and HCFMUSP (Hospital das Clínicas) would have a lot to contribute”, he says.