Tuscany approves telemedicine guidelines for chronic disease care

The Tuscany regional government has approved new guidelines to integrate telemedicine into standard healthcare pathways for chronic patients. The initiative aims to make care more accessible and coordinated, allowing patients to conduct follow-up visits from their homes or local health facilities without requiring physical travel.

Priority areas for telemedicine include diabetology, cardiology, pneumology, neurology, and oncology. Specific applications include monitoring stabilized heart failure, diabetes, respiratory diseases, Parkinson’s, and dementia, as well as certain oncological follow-ups. The service will also be used for post-hospital discharge care, reviewing test results, and updating therapeutic plans.

The digital platform for remote consultations is expected to be available by July 2025. Regional health assessor Monia Monni stated that the goal is not to replace direct professional-patient relationships but to make healthcare a more ordinary, integrated component of the regional system. The rollout will eventually extend to nursing homes (RSA) and prisons.