Telemedicine in pulmonology: achievements and prospects

The aim of this study was to determine the role of telemedicine in the pulmonology development. The study is based on scientific literature, corporate reports and marketing research results. In the modern world, the requirements for the medical care quality are increasing. It is associated with the development of medicine as a science, quality of life improvement and information availability. Doctors all over the world are joining the emerging unified medical virtual system, which contributes to quick and costless doctor-doctor and doctor-patient interaction. Currently, pulmonology is one of the promising areas of telemedicine. Now, patients with chronic respiratory diseases have an opportunity to keep an electronic diary reflecting objective and subjective data and their correlation. It is an advantage over patients monitoring the disease course only according to subjective sensations and personal experience. Thanks to telemedicine, highly qualified medical help is becoming available not only to metropolis residents, but also to those living in remote areas. This is relevant for Russia with its vast territories and low population density in hard-to-reach regions. It is also topical because there are no medical institutions in such areas. Telemedicine plays an important role in emergency situations, such as natural disasters and the spread of dangerous infections. One of the triggers for transformations in medicine, including technological ones, was the COVID-19 pandemic, which contributed to the digitalization of doctor-patient interactions.