The effectiveness of advisory assistance in treatment and examination of complex ophthalmic patients using telemedicine
Authors:   The S. Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution, the Khabarovsk Branch, Khabarovsk, Russian Federation, Kolenko O.V. ,   Postgraduate Institute for Public Health Specialists, Khabarovsk, Russian Federation,   Far-Eastern State Medical University, Khabarovsk, Russian Federation, Pshenichnov M.V. ,   The S. Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution, the Khabarovsk Branch, Khabarovsk, Russian Federation,   Far-Eastern State Medical University, Khabarovsk, Russian Federation, Sorokin E.L. ,   The S. Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution, the Khabarovsk Branch, Khabarovsk, Russian Federation,   Postgraduate Institute for Public Health Specialists, Khabarovsk, Russian Federation, Makarova A.A. ,   The S. Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution, the Khabarovsk Branch, Khabarovsk, Russian Federation
Published: September 2023

Purpose. Evaluation of the first experience of implementing telemedicine technologies by the national medical research center in medical organizations in the Far Eastern Federal District (FEFD). Material and methods. The analysis of organizational and technical difficulties of creating a stable system of scheduled and unscheduled telecommunication activities between the Khabarovsk branch of the S. Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution of the Ministry of Health of Russia (Branch) and assigned medical organizations of the 3rd level providing ophthalmological care to patients from 8 administrative territories of the FEFD. Results. The Branch established organizational and methodological department, which clarified and eliminated the factors that prevent the implementation of telemedicine consultations / consultations and the transmission of knowledge for ophthalmologists of medical organizations of the 3rd level; a set of organizational measures was taken to register the data of 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; provided methodological assistance in setting up and adjusting equipment in the regions, including field visits; backup connections of several providers are created; an algorithm for preliminary notification of regional ophthalmologists about knowledge transfers was developed; the organizational algorithm for generating a request for telemedicine consultations was tested. For 2019–2022 the Branch conducted: 41 knowledge broadcasts (in 2019 – 24, in 2020 – 8, in 2021 – 8, in 2022 – 1), 947 telemedicine consultations (in 2019 – 180, in 2020 – 185, in 2021 – 277, in 2022 – 305) to patients living mainly in the territory of the FEFD. Conclusions. The introduction of a system of periodic telecommunication events between the Branch and assigned medical organizations of the 3rd level into the daily clinical practice of ophthalmologists of the FEFD after the elimination of organizational and technical difficulties showed a high demand, allowing consultations on patient management in accordance with modern standards for the provision of ophthalmological care, as well as receiving ophthalmologists of the FEFD new and timely knowledges. Keywords: telemedicine, teleophthalmology, Far Eastern Federal District, translation of knowledge, telemedicine consultation