Telemedicine to Increase Russians’ Life Expectancy If Law Passed – Yandex

The possible enactment of the law on telemedicine in Russia, which would allow doctors to consult patients remotely, would increase the accessibility of health services and subsequently the life expectancy of the Russians, Grigory Bakunov, director of technology distribution of the Russian IT-company Yandex, told Sputnik ahead of the SPIEF.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in May, the bill on telemedicine was transferred to the State Duma. The bill involves the opportunity for medical care with the use of telehealth technologies, remote monitoring of patients’ health status, and doctors’ ability to issue electronic prescriptions.

"I think the main thing that will happen here is [the fact that] the availability of medicine will increase and, as a consequence, life expectancy should grow at the initial stage. And in the future the economy should also improve," Bakunov said.

According to Bakunov, in 2020 the market volume of teleconsultations in Russia will be about $200 million, provided that the law will become fully functional in 2018. The technical possibilities for the implementation of such services in Russia already exist, the expert added.