This report details the Activity's objectives and achievements over three years, focusing on enhancing telemedicine governance and access to essential health services in Ukraine amidst ongoing conflict.

Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine has created unprecedented challenges for the country’s health care system. Significant destruction of health care infrastructure has limited access to health services, and massive displacements of people have significantly complicated the process of providing and receiving health services. This context has given rise to an urgent need to provide health services, especially in remote and frontline areas where traditional in-person access to health services is severely limited or impossible.

This report analyzes the experience of introducing telemedicine solutions with the technical assistance of LHSS in Ukraine. It highlights the results, analyzes the experience, and presents best practices, challenges, and lessons learned. Additionally, this report provides recommendations for further utilization of extant and future telemedicine solutions both during martial law and after its repeal. The information presented in the report is intended to be useful for central and local authorities, health facilities, and telemedicine solution providers. It will also be of interest to those who wish to start using telemedicine solutions in the delivery of health services.

Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine has created unprecedented challenges for the country’s health care system. Significant destruction of health care infrastructure has limited access to health services, and massive displacements of people have significantly complicated the process of providing and receiving health services. This context has given rise to an urgent need to provide health services, especially in remote and frontline areas where traditional in-person access to health services is severely limited or impossible.

This report analyzes the experience of introducing telemedicine solutions with the technical assistance of LHSS in Ukraine. It highlights the results, analyzes the experience, and presents best practices, challenges, and lessons learned. Additionally, this report provides recommendations for further utilization of extant and future telemedicine solutions both during martial law and after its repeal. The information presented in the report is intended to be useful for central and local authorities, health facilities, and telemedicine solution providers. It will also be of interest to those who wish to start using telemedicine solutions in the delivery of health services.

At the end of 2022, the Local Health System Sustainability project (LHSS) analyzed the development of telemedicine in Ukraine and found a significant increase in the demand for telemedicine services in the previous few years. This was due to a combination of the COVID-19 epidemic and full-scale war initiated by Russia against Ukraine. LHSS supported the Government in drafting and ultimately approving a national Strategy for the Development of Telemedicine in Ukraine. In this strategy, one of the priority tasks was to define and further develop priority telemedicine services. This includes the development of technical models, algorithms, and business processes for interaction during the provision of medical assistance using telemedicine, as well as expansion of the functionality of the central database of the electronic health record system (EHRS) and medical information systems (MIS) in the field of telemedicine. 

This report evaluates the resources dedicated to telemedicine services in Ukrainian healthcare institutions. The primary goal of the study was to understand the current utilization of telemedicine and to analyze the costs involved, with a detailed focus on the components of these costs. The findings will support efforts to enhance the purchasing mechanisms for the National Health Service of Ukraine, paving the way for further improvements in telemedicine provision.

This report evaluates the resources dedicated to telemedicine services in Ukrainian healthcare institutions. The primary goal of the study was to understand the current utilization of telemedicine and to analyze the costs involved, with a detailed focus on the components of these costs. The findings will support efforts to enhance the purchasing mechanisms for the National Health Service of Ukraine, paving the way for further improvements in telemedicine provision.

LHSS in Ukraine is supporting improvements in the legislative and policy environment so as to enable expanded access to quality medical services using telemedicine. The analysis consists of 18 chapters and covers a wide range of topics, including terms and definitions related to telemedicine, its role in provision of medical care in different types of health facilities, rights and responsibilities of patients and medical professionals, and more.

With LHSS support, the Ministry of Health in Ukraine is connecting health facilities with telemedicine equipment, training physicians and patients, and forging other parts of an impactful telemedicine system: policies, transparent financing arrangements for services, and agreed-upon roles among stakeholders.

The adopted strategy will improve the quality standards of medical care using telemedicine.

Having proven invaluable in helping Ukrainians access health care throughout the Russian invasion, telemedicine is poised to play an integral role in health care delivery in Ukraine after the war ends. 

To develop its telemedicine system, health-sector leaders in Ukraine are seeking to leverage the experiences of telemedicine implementation globally, drawing on best practices and avoiding common pitfalls to effectively increase telemedicine access and quality. This review includes analysis of how telemedicine can be designed and deployed equitably and inclusively.

Цей звіт детально описує поточний стан телемедицини в Україні та включає дані, зібрані практично з кожного регіону країни. Він відкриває можливості для стратегічних інвестицій, які допоможуть відновити і розширити доступ до медичного обслуговування для українців та зберегти довгострокову міцність і життєстійкість системи охорони здоров'я.

This report details the current status of telemedicine in Ukraine and includes data gathered from nearly every region of the country. It provides areas for strategic investments that would foster expanded access, reconnecting Ukrainians to health care, and supporting the long-term strength and resilience of the health system.