The "National Electronic Health Operator" company, which maintains the unified ARMED electronic health system, is expanding its cooperation with the best foreign doctors, who can provide the second opinion online through the system. A group of doctors from University of Freiburg, which is considered to be one of the leading medical institutions in Germany and in Europe, arrived in Yerevan to discuss further cooperation.
At Freiburg University Hospital, it is possible to diagnose rare subtypes of diseases. This, in its turn, makes treatment more targeted and effective, including cases where the disease does not respond to traditional treatment methods.
Freiburg University Clinic has a team of high-class specialists in almost all medical fields—from oncology to cardiology and neurology. The clinic is known for its application of innovative approaches. Cooperation with ARMED will indirectly bring the medical institution's best experience to Armenia, also having an impact on the development of the healthcare system.
This will provide an opportunity to obtain second opinions from the best foreign specialists in complex cases, and especially in situations where citizens who need treatment simply do not have the opportunity to travel abroad.
"Today Armenia is moving toward digital healthcare. As a result, an institution like Freiburg University Clinic will be able to provide second opinions to our patients. This clinic can also differentiate narrower types within specific disease groups and offer targeted effective treatment to them. This cooperation also educates us; they share their knowledge with us, and this is done in a practical way. During the treatment of specific cases, in order to provide a second opinion, they may request some parameters from us that we don't have yet, but consider them to be important for targeted treatment, the Ministry of Health will start implementing those parameters. This means development, this means progress in the healthcare field and care for our citizens," says Avet Manukyan, Director of the "National Electronic Health Operator" company.
Professor Reinhard Edmund Voll, Head of the Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology at Freiburg University Clinic, adds that Freiburg University Clinic's special expertise can help patients suffering from particularly severe diseases and their doctors find truly optimal treatment and the correct diagnosis, because they have advanced methods for certain cases.
"We can also provide second opinions remotely. When we see the results that are available electronically, we can also conduct video consultations with the patient. But the first step, which in many cases is completely sufficient, is remote consultation based on existing electronic materials. And ARMED has a completely electronic medical record system, which is simply excellent. I am very impressed," notes Professor Voll.
The ARMED system is currently working seriously in the direction of digital healthcare development. "That is, we strive to ensure that the required information is received in digital form and with internationally accepted coding, which will allow us to provide accurate second opinions to our patients," says Avet Manukyan.
To achieve this, he emphasizes the importance of healthcare institutions entering data generated as a result of services provided to patients into the ARMED system, so that they are fully accessible to patients, who will be able to quickly use them for the benefit of their health by receiving the correct diagnosis in time.
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