Telemonitoring enhances Emergency Room response in Azores Basic Emergency Units - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Segurança Social

The Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, observed an operational trial of the telemonitoring system in the Emergency Rooms of Basic Emergency Units this morning, accompanied by the Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel. The initiative aimed to consolidate communication and coordination procedures between local clinical teams and the Dispatching Physician at the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service.

The simulation was based on an emergency scenario involving a patient with multiple traumas, enabling the entire operational process to be tested, from admission and initial assessment at the Basic Emergency Unit of Flores Island Health Unit through to the activation of the Dispatching Physician, videoconferencing and the shared clinical management of the case.

During the drill, several key procedures were assessed, namely the activation of the Dispatching Physician, the establishment of the videoconference link, the structured transmission of clinical information, the provision of tailored support in real time, the potential need for evacuation, and the recording of all clinical decisions and response times.

As part of this project, more than 30 tablets and Wi-Fi repeaters were purchased to equip Emergency Rooms at the Basic Emergency Units with the technological resources needed to ensure real-time communication with the Dispatching Physician.

Investment in telemedicine across the Regional Health Service amounts to approximately €100,000, funded through the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP).

Alongside technological upgrades, the Government of the Azores remains committed to focusing on training healthcare professionals staffing the Basic Emergency Units. A further eight Advanced Life Support (ALS) courses are planned for 2026, with 235 professionals expected to have received this specialised training by the end of the year.

Mónica Seidi emphasised that “this project represents a further step towards implementing innovative solutions that strengthen the Regional Health Service’s response capacity, ensuring that staff at Basic Emergency Units have access to real-time specialised support whenever clinical circumstances require it."

She concluded that “telemonitoring will bring specialists and clinical teams closer, regardless of the island where they are based, contributing to faster decision-making, greater clinical safety and better care for the population.”