Sberro-Cohen Sarah, E Ellen Moriah
Department of Health Policy and Management, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer- Sheva, Israel.
Maccabi Healthcare Services, Southern District, Omer, Israel.
J Med Syst. 2025 Jun 17;49(1):83. doi: 10.1007/s10916-025-02220-0.
Armed conflict poses severe challenges to healthcare delivery, requiring rapid adaptation. This study evaluates how telemedicine enabled continuity of care during the October 7, 2023, war in Israel, and assess regional and service-specific utilization patterns in relation to conflict intensity.
A retrospective cohort study of 7.19 million healthcare interactions from an Israeli HMO covering one-third of Israel's population. The study compared three periods: (T0) the first month of the war, (T1) the month before, and (T2) the same period last year. Interactions included visits and inquiries in primary care, secondary care, mental health, and allied health services. Data were categorized by service type and geographic conflict zones. Chi-square tests and effect sizes assessed trends.
Telemedicine utilization increased significantly during the war, especially in primary conflict zones (13-20%, p < 0.01). Remote consultations in mental health tripled (10-30%, p < 0.01), and nutrition services reached the highest telemedicine adoption (27-52%, p < 0.01). Family medicine, pediatrics, and gynecology also showed significant increases. Digital inquiries surged in family medicine but declined in pediatrics.
This study offers timely insights into telemedicine's role in maintaining access during armed conflict within a digitally advanced system. By examining service utilization across medical domains and conflict zones, it highlights how remote care supports system adaptability in crises. Notably, patient satisfaction remained high, suggesting telemedicine preserved access and perceived care quality. Findings may inform digital health planning to strengthen continuity, equity, and resilience in future emergencies.
武装冲突给医疗服务带来严峻挑战，需要迅速做出调整。本研究评估了远程医疗在2023年10月7日以色列战争期间如何实现医疗服务的连续性，并评估了与冲突强度相关的区域和特定服务的使用模式。
对以色列一家涵盖该国三分之一人口的健康维护组织（HMO）的719万次医疗互动进行回顾性队列研究。该研究比较了三个时期：（T0）战争的第一个月、（T1）前一个月以及（T2）去年同期。互动包括初级保健、二级保健、心理健康和辅助医疗服务中的就诊和咨询。数据按服务类型和地理冲突区域进行分类。采用卡方检验和效应量评估趋势。
战争期间远程医疗的使用显著增加，尤其是在主要冲突地区（增长13 - 20%，p < 0.01）。心理健康方面的远程咨询增加了两倍（从10%增至30%，p < 0.01），营养服务的远程医疗采用率达到最高（从27%增至52%，p < 0.01）。家庭医学、儿科和妇科的使用也显著增加。家庭医学中的数字咨询激增，但儿科中的数字咨询有所下降。
本研究及时洞察了远程医疗在数字化先进系统的武装冲突期间维持医疗服务可及性方面的作用。通过考察医疗领域和冲突区域的服务利用情况，突出了远程医疗在危机中如何支持系统的适应性。值得注意的是，患者满意度仍然很高，这表明远程医疗保持了医疗服务可及性并维持了感知到的医疗质量。研究结果可为数字健康规划提供参考，以加强未来紧急情况下的连续性、公平性和恢复力。
