Doubts about the diagnosis and treatment of syphilis in pregnancy among primary care professionals in a telehealth service

by Renata Rosa de Carvalho, Fabiana Carvalho, Elise Botteselle de Oliveira, Rodolfo Souza da Silva, Dimitris Varvaki Rados, Rita Mattiello, Marcelo Rodrigues Gonçalves, Roberto Nunes Umpierre, Camila Giugliani

This cross-sectional study aims to describe doubts regarding the diagnosis and treatment of syphilis in pregnancy among primary care professionals in a telehealth service. All teleconsultations (TCs) offered through TelessaúdeRS-UFRGS to primary health care (PHC) services in the state of Rio Grande do Sul between 2018 and 2021 involving syphilis in pregnancy were included. A total of 356 (TCs) were analyzed. The main doubts about syphilis during pregnancy raised by primary care professionals were related to the need for retreatment (35%), diagnostic definition (23%) and initial treatment (16%). In addition, 95% of TCs were suitable for diagnosing and treating syphilis based on the 2020 Brazilian Ministry of Health guideline. This study suggests that TCs can identify failures in the diagnosis and treatment of public health problems and support decision making in PHC involving syphilis in pregnancy.