Telemedicine in Latin America: a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Introduction: Telemedicine revolutionizes health care by removing geographic barriers and improving access. Although it faces challenges such as privacy and equity of access, bibliometric studies are crucial to understanding its impact and guiding future research. Methods: The study used a descriptive bibliometric methodology based on the Scopus database to analyze telemedicine research in Latin America over the last ten years, resulting in 2105 academic articles. Tools such as SciVal and VOSviewer were used to perform quantitative and visual analyses of the publications, including creating bibliometric maps. Result: From 2013-2022, 2105 academic articles on telemedicine were published in Latin America, with a significant impact on the health field. A particular focus is observed on topics such as psychological support, COVID-19, imaging diagnosis and cancer treatment, highlighting the relevance of telemedicine in these contexts. In addition, international collaboration was associated with a more significant impact. Brazil produced articles, and the importance of collaboration between academia and the corporate sector in this field was highlighted. Conclusions: Telemedicine has grown in Latin America, especially during the pandemic, offering benefits such as psychological support and expedited diagnosis and treatment; however, it faces challenges such as a lack of equitable access to technology and concerns about data privacy. Brazil leads scientific production in this field.