Telemedicine Services: Opportunities and Developments in Italy

Telemedicine services, with the collection and sharing of patient clinical data, have gone from an emergency response during the pandemic to an essential structural investment for the Italian health system. Telemedicine is a part of the main digital transformation process in healthcare and is establishing itself as a key technological tool to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the system. Indeed, it can make the difference in each phase of healthcare, from prevention to access to care, up to the real patient care, helping to shift the center of gravity of the Italian healthcare system moving from the centralized care in the hospitals to home healthcare. Through a literature review, an overview of the telemedicine in the Italian context is proposed, discussing the factors that facilitate its development, the main barriers to its implementation, and the future prospects of these digital tools that are useful to support the National Healthcare System.