BACKGROUND: Contemporary medicine has experienced a significant expansion in its capabilities and scope through the integration of telemedicine technologies across various disciplines, an advancement that has garnered favorable reviews from both healthcare professionals and patients. An annual increase in telemedicine visits has been observed, contributing to an improvement in patient satisfaction. AIM: To analyze the structure and development of telemedicine visits facilitated by the Telemedicine Center of the Bashkortostan Healthcare Information System, and to assess the use and implementation of telemedicine technologies in the context of Russian compulsory medical insurance. METHODS: This was a retrospective analytical study based on the annual statistical reports published by the Bashkortostan Medical Information and Analytics Center and the annual reports of the Bashkortostan Regional Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund for 2019–2023 that were submitted through the Unified Data Collection and Processing System of the Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund. RESULTS: Between 2019 and 2023, the number of telemedicine visits increased 8.3-fold in Bashkortostan. Oncology is the most frequently consulted discipline. In 2023, the proportion of this category increased by 2.5 times compared with 2020, which can be attributed to the approval of the Procedure for Providing Medical Care to the Adult Patients with Cancer, including the use of telemedicine technologies. This involved facilitating patient visits and/or online case conferences to decide on treatment strategies, including choosing a chemotherapy regimen. In 2023, 100% of Bashkortostan healthcare facilities were providing medical care using telemedicine technologies. CONCLUSION: The future challenges for the medical community can be addressed by improving the methods used in digital systems; establishing units within healthcare facilities that provide assistance using telemedicine technologies; setting standards for procuring the necessary equipment and software; and regularly offering special training to medical personnel to improve their IT skills.
Kondratieva et al. (Tue,) studied this question.