Effectiveness of Telehealth in the Treatment of Childhood Iron Deficiency Anemia in a Primary Care Facility in Pasco

Abstract

Childhood iron deficiency anemia is a public health problem that affects the cognitive and physical development processes of children under five years of age and is frequently present in Pasco, Peru. Due to this, telehealth has been implemented as an innovative strategy that allows the use of digital technologies for remote guidance and monitoring. The aim of this work was to determine the effectiveness of telehealth in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in children aged 36 to 59 months, by improving the knowledge and practice of their mothers in a health center in the Pasco region. The research was carried out under a quasi-experimental and longitudinal design with 30 mothers of children with iron deficiency anemia recruited by clusters. Likert-type surveys were applied before and after the intervention, which were validated by consensus and through Cronbach's Alpha coefficient. The results showed significant increases: the high level of knowledge went from 0% in the pretest to 86.7% in the posttest, while the high level of practice increased from 0% to 83.3%. Statistical tests confirmed significant differences with a p-value of 0.000. Telehealth proved to be an effective tool to improve the management of childhood iron deficiency anemia through the education and empowerment of mothers. These findings could be considered in future implementations of telehealth programs in similar contexts, with the aim of strengthening primary health care and reducing the prevalence of childhood anemia.