Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
A new system for seamless patient routing between outpatient clinics and hospitals has been operational in Moscow since the beginning of 2025. It has reduced wait times for scheduled medical care and doubled the proportion of scheduled hospitalizations. Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Development.
"Moscow's healthcare system today is based on the core principle of patient-centricity. Digitalization and the accumulated data allow us to rethink many processes and create a more understandable, convenient, and efficient path for both doctors and patients. For example, since the beginning of this year, we've been working on creating a new ecosystem of interactions between outpatient clinics and hospitals to make receiving routine medical care as simple and quick as possible. Previously, the path to routine hospitalization required patients to make multiple in-person visits. First, they had to obtain a referral from the outpatient clinic, then independently register for the inpatient consultative and diagnostic department, and then return to the outpatient clinic to obtain a referral for hospitalization," explained Anastasia Rakova.
Now, most processes are automated and require no patient intervention, saving them time. When an indication for hospitalization is identified, the clinic physician creates a request, which all specialized hospitals in the city can review and propose their own timelines and conditions for providing planned medical care.
"The review process takes up to 72 hours and does not require patient participation. They only need to select a hospital remotely with their treating physician, after which a referral will be generated. If a preliminary consultation is needed, a single contact center operator will contact the patient and schedule an appointment. If immediate hospitalization is recommended, a hospital staff member will contact the patient and explain the procedure. Now, 40 percent of patients bypass the consultation and diagnostic department, which has halved the wait time for routine medical care and doubled the rate of routine hospitalizations," the Deputy Mayor explained.
She added that doctors in the consultative and diagnostic department can now see all the results of tests performed at the clinic in the electronic medical record. The system automatically alerts patients if they attempt to order duplicate tests, which has helped reduce the number of such tests by two to three times.
In cases where an immediate decision on hospitalization is impossible, an individualized plan of examinations and consultations is prescribed. For this purpose, staff from the single contact center contact the patient and register them with the inpatient clinic. Thus, 70 percent of patients schedule an appointment within the first 10 days of receiving the referral.
Furthermore, there's no longer a need to visit the clinic multiple times to obtain a new referral. The referral is valid for a year, and further inpatient care—repeat appointments, tests, and hospitalization—is arranged by the KDO physician.
If, following a consultation in the consultative and diagnostic department, a patient requires further examination at the clinic, a referral can be issued remotely, without a visit. More than 3,400 people use this service monthly.
Get the latest news quickly on official Moscow messaging channels. MAX And Telegram.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.