Possibilities of using telemedicine systems in marine conditions

INTRODUCTION. The study presents the evaluation results the functioning of the ICLMed mobile telemedicine complex on board the hospital ship Irtysh during a special research exercise in the Pacific Fleet in 2025. The parameters of communication stability, weather and tactical conditions are analyzed, and a comparison is made with a fully functional stationary telemedicine complex.   OBJECTIVE. To evaluate the technical stability, functional characteristics and operational suitability of the ICLMed mobile telemedicine complex on board a hospital ship under sea navigation conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study included data from 84 telemedicine sessions conducted aboard the hospital   ship Irtysh during its voyage. Weather conditions, course, wave conditions, signal strength (SNR), connection stability, and subjective assessment of connection quality on a 6-point scale were taken into account. Descriptive and comparative statistical analyses were performed, including the paired Student’s t-test and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance. RESULTS. 84 telemedicine sessions conducted on board a hospital ship were analyzed; 83 (98.8%) of these were successful with an average SNR of 6.9 dB (median 7.2 dB). The only failure was recorded when the ship was moored in dense fog and possible antenna shielding. A qualimetric assessment revealed statistically significant differences between the mobile (4.18 points) and stationary (7.33 points) telemedicine systems for 10 of the 12 parameters. Kendall’s concordance coefficients (W = 0.71 and W = 0.75) indicate agreement between the expert assessments. The mobile system demonstrated advantages in such parameters as compactness, modularity, and control of diagnostic equipment. DISCUSSION. The mobile complex’s use confirmed its sustainability and technical readiness for use at sea. Limitations were related to incomplete equipment and weather conditions. The potential for scaling and adapting the complex with additional equipment was revealed. CONCLUSION. The ICLMed mobile telemedicine system can be effectively used at sea with trained personnel and additional equipment. The study’s results confirm the importance of developing maritime telemedicine and improving the technical capabilities of mobile systems.

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