What is a child health consultation?

This consultation is intended for monitoring, health promotion and disease prevention in children and young people under the age of 18 and must comply with the monitoring schedule recommended by the normative circulars of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) and strategic guidelines of the National Health Plan.
 

Who performs child health consultations?

Child health consultations are carried out by pediatricians or family doctors with specialization in pediatrics and adolescent health.

Who can use the online child health consultation?

The online child health consultation can be used by parents, guardians or young people themselves (over 16 years old) to obtain advice on their health or to make requests for regular medication or requests for additional diagnostic tests.

Who should not use online consultation?

Existem situações de saúde que exigem a realização de avaliação presencial, para garantia da qualidade do atendimento da criança ou jovem. Alguns exemplos (além de outros) são: traumatismos e quedas, febre elevada sem outras queixas, situações de urgência e emergência como faltas de ar intensa e não diagnosticada ou medicada anteriormente,  convulsões, ou desmaios.

What happens if the scheduled and paid consultation cannot be carried out online?

In situations where the doctor determines that the situation that prompts the consultation should be assessed in a face-to-face consultation, the consultation is usually cancelled by the doctor and the amount paid is refunded. Consultations are not cancelled, nor is the amount refunded, when any medical procedure is performed, such as issuing prescriptions, issuing tests, or providing additional advice to parents, guardians or adolescents on other health issues other than those that cannot be resolved in an online consultation.

What kind of services can be provided in the online consultation?

There are many situations that, although not urgent, can be dealt with in an online consultation, such as (some examples):

- advice to parents on childcare;

- advice on breastfeeding;

- prescription of the child's usual medication;

- some skin diseases that can be observed through camera, photography and video consultation;

- prescription of routine examinations;

- prescription of vaccines outside the National Vaccination Plan;

- issuing of certain types of medical certificates;

- advice on pediatric doses and medication;

- second medical opinion on the child's health situation

- support for the pharmacist when additional information is needed on dosages and types of drugs appropriate for each case.