Digital Health Platforms in Russia Aim to Streamline Access to Specialists
Patients will be able to get referrals to specialists through a digital system without first visiting a general practitioner
Anastasia Rakova, Moscow’s deputy mayor for social development, said patients previously had to book an appointment with a general practitioner before receiving a referral to a specialist. A new unified digital platform connecting all city medical institutions is now shortening that process.
Digital Intake
When booking an appointment, patients complete a digital questionnaire describing their symptoms. The system simultaneously analyzes their electronic medical records, checking for similar past complaints and reviewing existing tests and results. If additional diagnostics—such as X-rays or blood tests—are needed, the platform automatically issues referrals. Based on those results, it can directly schedule an appointment with a specialist.
High Efficiency
Last year, the smart intake system processed questionnaires from two million Moscow residents. Many were automatically referred for additional tests.
City officials are now looking to improve the in-office experience. Doctors often focus on entering patient information into a computer during consultations. Voice recognition technology could change that by automatically converting patient speech into digital records, allowing physicians to maintain eye contact and engage more directly.
Smart Hospitalization
When inpatient care is required, the digital system continues to manage the process. A clinic physician submits a request through a unified information system, where specialists from multiple hospitals can review it and offer treatment options. Within 15 days, proposals are compiled in the patient’s personal account in the EMIAS.Info app, allowing individuals to choose where to receive care.
As a result, waiting times for hospitalization have been reduced by 1.5 times.
