Six Years of Evolution in Remote Care: From Experiment to Integrated Virtual Clinic Model in Primary Care
Jose Miguel BORRACHERO GUIJARRO, Fernando GOMEZ PERALTA, Ana BALIBREA RUIZ, Marta GONZALEZ MARTINEZ, Sergio MENDEZ PLATAS, Laura BAÑOS MEROÑO, María Del Mar GARCÍA LÓPEZ, Belen GARBARRÓN MANRESA, Isabel María SAURA LUJAN and Raquel María SANCHEZ DEL REY
A multisite private provider in the XXX, introduced remote care in 2019 as a small pilot to test physician readiness and workflow feasibility. The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly expanded adoption and normalized telemedicine within primary care. When pandemic-related demand decreased, the organization needed to convert improvised remote services into a sustainable and clinically anchored component of routine care.The six-year development occurred in three phases. 1. Adoption (2019–2020): identification of use cases, documentation standards, and support systems enabling safe remote care 2. Monetization (2021–2022): establishment of pricing structures, evaluation of sustainability, and creation of unified operational processes 3. Integration (2023–2025): development of a dedicated Virtual Clinic staffed by physicians working exclusively in structured remote care, fully linked to physical practices through shared documentation, standardized triage, referral pathways, and defined follow-up processes Data were collected on utilization, demographics, and operational performance. Strengths included organizational continuity and strong linkage between remote and physical care. Limitations involved uneven physician adoption, initial workflow variability, and minimal national benchmarks. Measurable outcomes included changes in capacity, accessibility, efficiency, and cost.This is one of the first documented long-term implementations of fully integrated remote care in XXX primary care. Unlike pandemic-driven telemedicine expansions, this case establishes remote care as an autonomous and organized service line with defined staffing, governance, and quality processes. The Virtual Clinic model differs from typical hybrid setups by integrating remote care into all physical care pathways. Clear triage rules, shared documentation, and robust clinical governance were essential for safety and efficiency. Physician training and cultural acceptance were crucial success factors. Future priorities include expanding clinical scope, improving digital interoperability, and enhancing chronic care pathways.By 2025, remote care functioned as a stable service covering administrative tasks, triage, acute consultations, and chronic follow-up. Seventy-five percent of utilization came from urban areas. Integrated workflows increased overall capacity by approximately 33% and reduced costs by 9.2%, primarily through more efficient physician time use.When systematically organized and fully connected to physical care, remote care becomes a sustainable medical discipline that increases capacity, improves access, and reduces costs in primary care systems.
