First experience using telemedicine technologies in ophthalmology of the Far Eastern Federal District of the Russian Federation

Purpose. Evaluation of the first experience in organizing systematic telemedicine consultations/conciliums between the national medical research center and medical organizations in the territory of the Far Eastern Federal District (FEFD) of the Russian Federation. Material and methods. The analysis of organizational and technical difficulties in creating of stable system of planned and unscheduled telecommunication events between the Khabarovsk branch of the Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution (Khabarovsk branch) and assigned to it medical organizations of the 3rd level, providing ophthalmological care for patients from 8 administrative territories of the FEFD. Results. Organizational and methodological department was created in the Khabarovsk branch, which clarified and eliminated the factors that impeded of telemedicine consultations/conciliums for ophthalmologists of medical organizations of the 3rd level; a set of organizational measures was taken to register these medical organizations in the Federal Register of Medical Organizations, in the Unified State Information System in the Field of Healthcare; the equipment necessary for communication was purchased and technically prepared; methodological assistance was provided in setting up equipment in the regions, including on-site visits; backup connections of several providers have been created; an algorithm for preliminary notification of regional ophthalmologists about the knowledge transmission has been worked out; an organizational algorithm for forming a request for telemedicine consultations has been tested. For 2019–2020 the Khabarovsk branch conducted 32 knowledge transmissions, 560 telemedicine consultations on patients living in the FEFD. Conclusion. The introduction into the daily clinical ophthalmologists practice in the FEFD of system of periodic telecommunication events between the Khabarovsk branch and assigned medical organizations of the 3rd level after the elimination of organizational and technical difficulties showed a high demand, allowing consultations on patient management in accordance with modern standards of ophthalmological care. Key words: telemedicine, teleophthalmology, Far Eastern Federal District, knowledge transmission, telemedicine consultations

Distance learning: the “Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes: ECHO” project: a case study

This article reports a case conference that was part of the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO®) project, which is a model of monthly telemedicine conferences on chronic disease and behavioral health, important topics for primary care teams in rural areas and for university-based specialists. The ECHO® project has proved to be a successful learning model in health care. The main goal of the project is moving knowledge not the patients, so this tele-mentoring builds capacity and creates access to high-quality specialty care serving local communities. A secondary goal is shared learning between community providers and specialists about best practices that are practical, achievable, and sustainable for the community. We present the case of a critical care patient who was brought to the emergency department with left-side weakness and dysarthria. Computed tomography of the head and electrocardiograms established the diagnosis during the admission. Discussion points from a multidisciplinary team and specialty consultants via telemedicine are listed in this article. Key words: telemedicine, teleconsulting, primary care, developing countries, rural area

THE FUTURE OF TELEMEDICINE IN MODERN HEALTHCARE

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 has brought a tremulous shift in healthcare delivery. Since February 2020, telemedicine grew from 1% of the primary care visit to nearly 43.5% in April 2020. The report published in 2020 by Telemedicon, revealed that non-metro cities recorded a growth of 7X in online consultations as compared to last year and started adopting an online mode of consultations amid the pandemic in metro to non-metro is 60:40 in 2020, as compared to 75:25 in 2019. This rapid growth presents telemedicine as the next frontier in healthcare. Digital and communication technologies have revolutionized the delivery of healthcare services. Telehealth is set to change the future of healthcare and remove many of the obstacles and challenges the patients and the industry face. Patients are rapidly transitioning to telehealth, 76% responded to the survey that they want to use telehealth going forward. Benefits of Telemedicine include convenience, access to care, better patient outcomes, a more efficient healthcare system, fewer hospital admissions, and fewer hospital re-admissions. With telemedicine’s current trajectory and rapid adoption rate, it has the potential to disrupt and redefine the way health systems operate, deliver care, manage costs, setting the stage for a vastly different healthcare experience in the future. The widespread use of telemedicine helps to push the industry to make better platforms that can cooperate and communicate. Telemedicine is an effective way to alleviate the congestion of hospitals, improve the utilization of medical resources, and also a powerful tool that makes healthcare accessible, cost-effective, and significantly enhances patient engagement. Key Words: Telemedicine, Telemedicine, healthcare, patient engagement.

The evolution of telemedicine during COVID-19. From theory to practice?

It must be recognized that, in the lockdown period, in addition to the shortcomings of the telemedicine systems, diabetologists also highlighted the lack of knowledge of the telematic tools available on the market potentially usable immediately. For this reason our scientific societies (AMD-SID-SIE) have taken on the burden to collect from the companies that have responded to our request, the information on their remote medicine systems trying to classify them in a neutral but homogeneous way, in a matrix of technological characteristics able to describe the characteristics of each product. KEY WORDS telemedicine; diabetes mellitus; COVID-19.

Telemedicine and COVID-19: an example of management in a territorial diabetology

The health emergency linked to the spread of COVID-19 has made it necessary to avoid travel and contact between people, forcing us to revolutionize the way we provide assistance to the chronically ill. In this short communication we report a telemedicine experience of a Piedmont territorial diabetology. KEY WORDS telemedicine; diabetes mellitus; health organization.