Telemedicine in north-west Russia

During the last few years, telemedicine based on simple, low-cost technology has increased significantly in the Arkhangelsk region of north-west Russia. Specialists at the regional hospital of Arkhangelsk are diagnosing patients from local hospitals 600-700 km from the capital. A still-image system is used for emergency cases. The same technology, along with telephones with loudspeakers, is also used to provide distance learning at the regional hospitals of Arkhangelsk and Tromsø. This article describes the results from the telemedicine collaboration between the University Hospital of Tromsø and health-care institutions in Arkhangelsk, and discusses the experience gained.