Establishing a regional outpatient center to provide medical care to patients with the coronavirus infection COVID-19: the Altai Krai experience

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted the search for new organizational solutions for medical care during emergencies that use remote work formats. The article presents international and Russian experience in the use of remote technologies in medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pace and scale of implementation of remote technologies varied from country to country. Remote technologies have become an effective emergency response measure for medical care, ensuring timeliness and reducing the burden on the healthcare system. Objective. To study the experience of using remote technologies for medical care in patients with COVID-19, and to assess the organizational effectiveness of a regional outpatient center in the Altai Territory. Materials and methods. The literature review was conducted, including in the English-language database of medical and biological publications, PubMed. Up-to-date information was also obtained from some relevant websites. The activities of the regional outpatient center for medical care for patients with new COVID-19 coronavirus infection (Altai Territory) and international experience were analyzed. Results. It was shown that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to manage the infectious process, there was a sharp increase in the use of telemedicine and mobile applications. It was found that the increase in telemedicine and remote monitoring during COVID-19 left society as a whole with several practical issues to address. The guidelines from professional medical organizations on the use of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed. Conclusion. Remote monitoring has become an effective tool for medical care in settings of social distancing and isolation/quarantine during the pandemic.