ADOPTING ORPHAN DISEASES RARE INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASES

adoptingorphandiseaseskapak

TELEMEDICINE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RARE INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASES

Nazlı Çetin1 Gülfem Özduygu2

1Afyonkarahisar State Hospital, Department of Chest Diseases, Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye
2University of Health Sciences Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Department of Chest Diseases, İstanbul, Türkiye

Cetin N, Ozduygu G. Telemedicine Opportunities for Rare Interstitial Lung Diseases. In: Altinisik G, McCormack FX, editors. Adopting Orphan Diseases: Rare Interstitial Lung Diseases. 1st ed. Ankara: Türkiye Klinikleri; 2025. p.233-244.

ABSTRACT

Telemedicine leverages information and communication technologies (ICT) to provide remote consultation, monitoring, and personalized care, thereby overcoming barriers to healthcare access, particularly for patients living in geographically isolated areas. By eliminating the need for travel, it enables earlier diagnosis, timely treatment, and regular follow-up, while simultaneously reducing patient burden and lowering healthcare costs.

Telemedicine systems are generally divided into two main categories: synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (store-and-forward). Synchronous interactions allow immediate patient-physician communication, whereas asynchronous systems enable data sharing and expert consultation across different timeframes, offering flexibility and efficiency. Integration with electronic health records (EHR) facilitates longitudinal tracking of patient data, contributing significantly to clinical practice.

In the context of rare interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), where expertise is often concentrated in a limited number of referral centers, telemedicine gains particular importance. It can bridge primary and secondary care providers with referral centers, allowing patients to access expert opinions without the need for long-distance travel. Virtual multidisciplinary team meetings may support shared decision-making and enhance knowledge exchange, ultimately improving both patient outcomes and physician education. Furthermore, teleconsultations may help patients feel more secure and reduce the sense of isolation commonly associated with rare diseases.

Despite these advantages, telemedicine faces challenges such as technological inequities, concerns over data security, and the need for robust legal and ethical frameworks. Addressing these barriers is critical for sustainable integration of telemedicine into routine clinical practice. Meanwhile, advances in digital health tools and artificial intelligence hold the potential to strengthen remote monitoring, enable earlier recognition of disease progression, and optimize personalized care strategies.

In conclusion, telemedicine represents a promising and increasingly indispensable tool in the management of rare ILDs. Through remote consultation, digital data sharing, and virtual multidisciplinary collaboration, it may not only improve access to specialized healthcare but also reinforce a more patient-centered healthcare system.

Keywords: Telemedicine; Interstitial lung disease; Rare interstitial lung disease; Remote monitoring; Digital health technologies; Digital health

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