Telemedicine technologies in the organization of the regional thoracic surgery service

Background. Telemedicine consultations (TMC) are currently an integral part of the Russian Federation's healthcare system. By overcoming and reducing such well-known factors as time and distance, TMC thereby increase the availability of medical care without losing its quality. The implementation of the telemedicine module in thoracic surgery in many countries is characterized by insufficient use of this resource, despite the obvious proven advantages of the technology.

Aim: to analyze the annual results of using TMC in providing medical care to thoracic surgical patients in the Samara Region.

Materials and methods. This analysis is based on the experience of implementing and conducting TMK in the surgical thoracic department of the Samara Regional Clinical Hospital named after V.D. Seredavin from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025. The following methods were used in the study: descriptive, statistical, and sociological. The comparative part is based on data from the PubMed, Medline, and ELibrary databases. Statistical data was processed using the validated statistical package SPSS. When analyzing the effectiveness of TMC, we evaluated not only the immediate medical and diagnostic results and the outcomes of patient support, but also the quality of technological and logistical processes in the organization of telecommunications. During this period, 138 TMC were conducted in the "Doctor–Doctor" module and 113 TMC were conducted in the "Doctor–Patient" module.

Results. With a reasonable systematic approach to the implementation of telemedicine consultations, their effectiveness in many cases is not inferior to that of similar traditional services with comparable safety and significant resource savings for both the patient and the healthcare system. The widespread introduction of TMС into the practice of thoracic surgical services has helped optimize the work schedules of specialists. The number of visits to TMС applicant health facilities decreased by 28.6% from 133 in 2023 to 95 in 2025 (p ˂ 0,01). The number of repeated consultation requests also decreased by 15.6%, which indicates the completeness and quality of the conclusions and recommendations received (p ˂ 0,01). At the same time, conducting TMС allows for assessing the quality of medical care provided in the primary hospitalization facility.

Conclusion. TMK in the organization of thoracic surgical care in the Samara region is currently at the stage of sustainable development. Ensuring a high level of accessibility to this specialized section is achieved, among other things, by improving the basic modules and increasing the commitment of the medical community. The results of treating patients using TMС make a significant contribution to reducing mortality from manageable causes. 

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