**5. Conclusions**

This study confirms that telemedicine reduces the environmental impact of atmospheric pollutants emitted by vehicles by reducing the number of journeys made for face-to-face visits to see a specialist. The distance saved results in time saved and reductions in fuel and pollutants. Further studies ought to include more information on alternative face-to-face models, wasted working hours and the associated impact on earnings, as well as a cost-effectiveness analysis of face-to-face visits compared to

telemedicine. The expansion of telemedicine programs ought to be considered an option as part of a global strategy to reduce the emission of atmospheric pollutants.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, J.V.-A.; Data curation, J.V.-A. and F.L.S.; Formal analysis, J.V.-A., J.F.-P. and F.L.S.; Investigation, J.F.-P. and F.G.C.; Methodology, J.V.-A. and J.F.-P.; Resources, J.M.P.; Software, F.L.S.; Supervision, J.V.-A., F.G.C. and J.M.P.; Validation, J.F.-P., F.G.C. and J.M.P.; Visualization, J.F.-P. and F.L.S.; Writing–original draft, J.V.-A., J.F.-P., F.L.S., F.G.C. and J.M.P.; Writing–review & editing, J.V.-A., J.F.-P. and F.L.S.

**Funding:** This research received no external funding.

**Acknowledgments:** A big thank you to the staff at the Technical and Support Area of Gerència Territorial de la Catalunya Central for their help during the data collection phase. This study was conducted with the support of the Secretary of Universities and Research of the Department of Business and Knowledge at the Generalitat de Catalunya.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.
