Medical center for remote monitoring of patients with COVID-19 as a key element in reducing the burden on the ambulance service during the pandemic

Background. During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote consulting and monitoring technologies began to be used in medical practice to maintain the proper level of quality of patient care, ensure the efficient use of emergency medical teams (EMT) resources in conditions of increased workload and minimize the risks of infection spread. The Tomsk Region became one of the first regions of the Russian Federation to organize on its territory a Medical center for remote monitoring of patients with COVID-19 and community-acquired pneumonia (hereinafter referred to as the Center).Aim: To assess the Center’s activities effectiveness based on the analysis of indicators of the load on the EMT service during the COVID-19 pandemic.Material and Methods. The Center’s activities effectiveness was assessed based on the analysis of the key parameters of its work, as well as the study of the dynamics of quantitative and time indicators of the load on the EMT service. The information base for the study was the daily operational data of subordinate institutions of the Department of Health of the Tomsk region in the period from 01.06.2020 to 31.12.2021.Results. The positive dynamics of quantitative and time indicators of the work EMT service after the Center’s work start the confirms effectiveness of remote monitoring of the health status of patients with COVID-19. Reducing the number of calls received by the EMT service, due to the redistribution of the “non-core” load and the routing of patients depending on the reasons for treatment and the severity of the condition, allowed to stabilize the work of the ambulance in a critical situation for the industry.Conclusion. Taking into account the proven effectiveness, the experience of the Tomsk region in creating a Center that provides remote counseling to patients with COVID-19 can be applied as a measure of adaptation of regional health systems in the event of new epidemic threats.