Üllar Lanno: In small towns, doctors increasingly appear on screen

The shortage of psychiatric care has been a recurring theme in Estonian journalism, yet Narva Hospital managed to eliminate waiting lists in less than a year. Üllar Lanno writes about how digital services and remote consultations help solve healthcare accessibility problems in small towns.

Access to psychiatric care has been a painful issue in Estonian healthcare for years. This year, the Estonian Family Doctors Association publicly acknowledged that free psychiatric care is no longer realistically available — waiting lists are long and accessing the service is becoming increasingly difficult. Yet there are solutions to this complex situation that deserve closer examination.

Narva's example

The case of Narva Hospital is a notable example here. In a city where the situation seemed particularly hopeless, psychiatric care waiting lists were eliminated in less than a year. This did not happen because Narva suddenly acquired many new specialists — the solution was quite different.

The arsenal that broke the waiting lists is largely based on digital technology and remote consultations. In small towns and remote areas, where specialists are scarce, patients increasingly see doctors via screen. This is neither an exception nor a temporary solution — it is a new reality that must be embraced.

Why it works

Remote consultations do not solve all problems, but they help break down the geographical barrier that is a major obstacle in Estonian healthcare. A psychiatrist appointment via video link is in many cases as effective as an in-person meeting, especially for routine check-ups and medication adjustments.

According to Üllar Lanno, based on this experience, the prevailing approach should change: waiting for care to arrive physically is a luxury that small towns cannot afford. Digital services are not a compromise — they are modern healthcare.