Telemedical consultations on oncology in the Republic of Bashkortostan

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 worldwide pandemic enabled the expanded use of telemedical technologies in many areas of medicine. Remote consultations helped conserve medical resources and reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 while preserving patients’ access to medical care. In addition, telemedicine played a role in caring for patients who live in remote regions. Other benefits include savings in transportation costs and travel time both for patients and caregivers. Telemedicine, together with remote health monitoring technologies, has high potential in developing a preventive healthcare system and increasing the accessibility of medical care and meets current challenges by improving healthcare quality and providing an individual approach to patients. In 2020, the Center of Telemedicine was created in the Republican Clinical Oncological Dispensary (RCOD) to organize and improve telemedical assistance to the population of the Republic of Bashkortostan in the oncology profile.

AIM: To analyze telemedical consultations (TMCs) on oncology in the Republic of Bashkortostan for the period of 2020–2022.

METHODS: Quantitative count and comparison of the TMCs conducted by the RCOD of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Bashkortostan in 2020–2022 and sent to the National Medical Research Center (NMRC) were performed. The work on referrals to the NMRC for revision of examination results (computer tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography/computed tomography, and histological examinations), obtaining a second opinion, and determining treatment tactics was organized.

RESULTS: In 2020, 32,076 TMCs were conducted, while 225 TMCs were performed with the NMRC. In 2021, the RCOD conducted 52,139 TMCs (a 62% increase compared to 2020), whereas 473 TMCs took place in the NMRC (a 110% increase compared to 2020). During the 12 months of 2022, 57,456 TMCs were performed by RCOD staff (a 10% increase over the previous year), and 672 TMCs were conducted with the NMRC (a 42% increase compared to 2021). For feedback from referring medical organizations and monitoring and evaluating the quality of regional TMCs, conference calls were held with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Bashkortostan, chief physicians, and oncologists of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

CONCLUSIONS: TMCs allow for the rapid exchange of medical information, thereby reducing the time of diagnosis and timely prescription of treatment, the implementation of timely routing of patients and improving the quality and availability of medical care in the oncology profile in the Republic of Bashkortostan. The annual increase in the number of TMCs is due to the growing need for this type of specialized medical care in this profile.