ABSTRACT
Decision making in public health depends on the availability of reliable information, which is generated, analyzed and disseminated by information systems. Telemedicine activity involves about 30 universities and research institutes in 9 of the 27 Brazilian states. The pilot project in telemedicine for primary care involves the installation of 900 PCs, mainly for decision support. Separate from the National Telemedicine Programme, the BH Telemedicine Project was implemented in 2003. The aim was to promote the continuing education of health workers in primary care units, as well as contributing to the modernization of the public health system. The survey enrolled 41 municipalities of more than 100000 inhabitants in the south and north-east regions of Brazil, which represented approximately 20% of these size municipalities in the country. Primary care plays a major role in producing better health care for all people, particularly in developing countries.
