Inter-Country Doctor-to-Doctor Telemedicine Conferences/Consultations Following COVID-19: A Survey of the National University Hospital Council of Japan.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to the worldwide development of information and communications technology and the widespread use of domestic telemedicine, but the activities and needs of international telemedicine conferences/consultations remain unclear. We examined the experiences, needs, resources, and barriers related to international doctor-to-doctor telemedicine following the COVID-19 pandemic in Japanese national university hospitals. Methods: In November 2021, a questionnaire was sent to 163 Internationalization Project Team representatives at 43 Japanese national university hospitals. Eighty-two of the representatives were medical staff in charge of internationalization (MI), and 81 were technical staff responsible for telecommunications (TT). Results: The response rate was 94.2% (MI: 42/43 institutions; TT: 39/43 institutions). Fourteen institutions had been conducting international telemedicine programs with 62 countries. Public health was the most frequently cited topic, followed by nursing, surgery, pediatrics, and gastroenterology. All TT indicated that their institution had installed videoconferencing systems. Nineteen institutions indicated a need for international programs. The most serious barrier was the lack of "human resources" (84%), and this was noted more often by members in institutions without activity ( Discussion: The technical barriers for international telemedicine were low after the pandemic. However, there are insufficient human resources to meet the growing needs. In addition to the international coordinators and administrative staff to support smooth communication with overseas partners, there is also a need for personnel to promote activities on their own.