Local control, remote expertise: governing therapeutic telemedicine in wartime

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Source: Nature Medicine

Original: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04298-6...

Published: 2026-03-24

The study analyzed 7.19 million medical interactions from an Israeli health insurance company covering a third of Israel's population during the first month of the war from October 7, 2023, compared to the month before the war and the same period last year.[1][2][3] Interactions included visits and inquiries in primary care, secondary care, mental health and allied health services, categorized by service type and geographic conflict zones.[1][3] The use of telemedicine increased significantly during war, especially in primary conflict zones to 13–20% (p < 0.01).[1][2][3] Remote mental health consultations tripled to 10-30% (p < 0.01) and nutrition services had the highest adoption of telemedicine at 27-52% (p < 0.01).[1][2][3] Family medicine, pediatrics, and gynecology also saw significant increases, with digital questions rising in family medicine but falling in pediatrics.[1][2] Patient satisfaction remained high, indicating maintenance of access and quality of care.[1][2] The study highlights the role of telemedicine in maintaining continuity of care in a digitally advanced system during armed conflict.[1][2]