Proactive Telemedicine to Improve Healthcare Access and Prevention in Rural Primary Care (PTM)

Overview

The study evaluates whether Proactive Telemedicine (PTM) can improve healthcare access for individuals who have not contacted their primary care team for at least one year, compared with face-to-face visits. PTM consists of brief, remote behavioral interventions addressing modifiable risk factors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption (AUDIT-C: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption), physical activity (IPAQ: International Physical Activity Questionnaire), and Mediterranean diet adherence (PREDIMED: Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea). PTM follows national preventive protocols including PAPPS (Programa de Actividades Preventivas y de Promoción de la Salud) and uses validated tools such as EuroQol-5D-5L (EQ-5D-5L) to measure healthcare accessibility and quality-of-life outcomes. This randomized non-inferiority trial aims to determine whether PTM is as effective and safe as traditional in-person consultations.

Healthcare systems, particularly in rural and aging populations, face persistent challenges in ensuring equitable and universal access. Many individuals do not regularly engage with primary care services due to geographical, socioeconomic, organizational, or personal barriers. Digital health initiatives, including the World Health Organization's Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025, highlight telemedicine as a key tool to improve accessibility and support preventive care. Proactive Telemedicine (PTM) is a model in which primary care professionals initiate remote contact with individuals who have not interacted with their healthcare team for at least one year. The intervention uses synchronous (telephone) and asynchronous (secure messaging) communication to deliver brief behavioral counseling based on cognitive-behavioral and motivational interviewing principles. These interventions target modifiable lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and dietary patterns, and are aligned with national preventive care recommendations. This randomized non-inferiority trial evaluates whether PTM provides accessibility, preventive impact, and user experience comparable to face-to-face consultations. The study examines whether proactively delivered telemedicine can serve as a scalable and acceptable strategy to increase engagement with primary care services in underserved rural areas. The information obtained will help determine the feasibility, effectiveness, and future implementation potential of PTM within broader healthcare systems.