Video, mail, and medical assistance request telemedicine consultations at Steno Diabetes Center Greenland

Greenland's geography and dispersed settlements impede equitable access to care. To address this, Steno Diabetes Center Greenland (SDCG) implemented a telemedicine programme (2021-2024) comprising client-to-provider video (VC), client-to-provider mail, and provider-to-provider Medical Assistance Requests (MAR). The aim of this study was to describe utilization of the newly implemented telemedicine modalities at SDCG from 2021 to 2024. The study was conducted as a cross-sectional, register-based study using electronic medical record data extracted January 15, 2025. All SDCG contacts from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2024, were included. Consultations were classified as face-to-face, administrative, telephone, mail, or video. Total telemedicine comprised all non-face-to-face modalities. In total, 43,190 consultations were registered. Overall activity increased by 56% from 2021 to 2024. In 2024, telemedicine constituted 70% of all consultations. The newly implemented modalities accounted for 40% of all consultations in 2024. VC rose by >2,000% during the period to around 7% in 2024; mail increased from zero to 14% in 2024. Administrative consultations grew by 57%, driven by an increase in MAR. In conclusion, the newly implemented telemedicine modalities were rapidly and sustainably integrated into SDCG, enhancing access and continuity. The swift toward video, mail, and MAR supports further scale-up across the Greenlandic Health System. Client and providers experiences as a well as effect on clinical quality in Greenland needs to be addressed in future research.