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FrancoAngeli Journals

Saggi

No. 130 (2024)

Telemedicine role in the management of patients’ waiting lists and in broadening access to specialist outpatient services. The experience in the Veneto Region

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/mesa2024-130oa18960
Submitted
dicembre 5, 2024
Published
2025-05-14

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has represented a critical and challenging time for healthcare systems, although determining a new boost towards service digitalization and the adoption of new means to deliver healthcare services, such as telemedicine. This paper explores the way telemedicine services have been implemented within the Veneto Healthcare Regional System. In particular, it aims to study in deep its role in managing patients’ waiting lists for specialist outpatient services that were created because of the need to temporary stop ordinary healthcare service provisions due to the pandemic emergency. Other than telemedicine contribution as a mean to dispose of waiting lists in healthcare, this study is set on exploring telemedicine potential to broaden access to specialist outpatient services. Digital healthcare could ensure equity in specialist healthcare services for healthcare organization patients, especially when residing in inconvenient locations, with limited infrastructure allowing to reach healthcare structures or affected by mobility limitation. An analysis of volumes, medical fields and different types of telemedicine services offered and produced starting from the beginning of the pandemic has been conducted in order to understand what kind of healthcare service are more compatible with this approach. Moreover, the main characteristics of the target population and territories are considered to widen the knowledge on the topic and to plan telemedicine services that are appropriate and responding to the real healthcare needs of patients towards a value-based approach to healthcare.

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