Introduction:

Telemedicine is a tool for pediatric care services, since it allows monitoring of pediatric patients in the management of chronic diseases and vulnerable groups; lowers costs and improves access to health services.

Objective:

To explore, through a systematic review of the literature, the effectiveness of teleconsultation in the management of chronic diseases and vulnerable groups in the pediatric population.

Methods:

A systematic review of the literature was carried out, using the MESH terms "pediatrics" AND "telehealth" AND "primary care" AND "control care" in Medline PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, Science Direct databases. Meta-analyses, systematic reviews, controlled clinical trials, cohort, case-control studies, conducted from 1998 to July 2021, were included. Fifty-four studies were obtained for the final review.

Results:

The main results of the search showed benefits at the level of chronic disease control, control after discharge from the intensive care unit, pediatric post-surgery, palliative care, mental illness, access to health services for populations from remote regions. A benefit was found in preventing visits to the Emergency Department.

Conclusions:

Telemedicine has a diversity of utilities and interventions as a health tool. Robust scientific evidence has been found for the care of chronic diseases and/or follow-up in pediatrics. Likewise, the provision of services in the telemedicine modality in pediatrics should be included in the care processes and clinical practice guidelines of the specialty.