Objective:

To assess the relationship between telemedicine volume and access to outpatient care in Russia, considering regional disparities in digital readiness and ambulatory care resources.

Approach:

Key Findings:

• Digital-environment associations with ambulatory indicators were primarily interregional.
• The association between the Digital Infrastructure Index (DII) and physician visits changed from +0.258 to -0.031 after two-way centering.
• The national telemedicine consultations increased significantly from 0.39–0.68 million in 2018-2019 to 15.94 million in 2024.
• The patient-physician share reached 0.919 in 2020 but declined to 0.496 in 2024.

Interpretation:

The growth in telemedicine volume does not equate to improved access to care, as regional digital readiness and resource configuration significantly influence the interpretation of telemedicine data.

Limitations:

• The study does not extrapolate findings to individual access experiences.
• The interpretation of telemedicine volume is constrained by reporting definitions and the variability of the digital environment.

Conclusion:

Telemedicine should be viewed as a bounded monitoring signal rather than an autonomous mechanism for equalizing access.

Attribution Notice

This content is an AI-generated, fully rewritten summary based on a published scholarly article. It does not reproduce the original text and is not a substitute for the original publication. Readers are encouraged to consult the source for full context, data, and methodology.