Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40221601›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Bridging healthcare gaps through specialized mobile healthcare services to improve healthcare access and outcomes in rural Hungary.

Mark Virag, Rita Kovacs, Gergely Marovics, Luca Toth, Barbara Sandor, Peter Voros, Veronika Gyori-Dani, Ferenc Nagy, Daniel Eorsi, Janos Sandor and 6 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Mark ViragMedical School, Department of Public Health Medicine, University of Pecs, Szigeti str. 12, HU-7624, Pecs, Hungary.
Rita KovacsHungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta, Fortuna str. 10, Budapest, H-1014, Hungary.
Gergely MarovicsMedical School, Department of Public Health Medicine, University of Pecs, Szigeti str. 12, HU-7624, Pecs, Hungary.
Luca TothMedical School, Clinical Centre, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pecs, Ret str. 2, Pecs, HU-7624, Hungary.
Barbara SandorMedical School, Clinical Centre, 1st Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation, University of Pecs, Pecs, HU-7624, Hungary.
Peter VorosHungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta, Fortuna str. 10, Budapest, H-1014, Hungary.
Veronika Gyori-DaniFaculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Debrecen, Kassai str. 26, Debrecen, HU-4028, Hungary.
Ferenc NagyHungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta, Fortuna str. 10, Budapest, H-1014, Hungary.
Daniel EorsiHungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta, Fortuna str. 10, Budapest, H-1014, Hungary.
Janos SandorFaculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Debrecen, Kassai str. 26, Debrecen, HU-4028, Hungary. janos.sandor@med.unideb.hu.
Istvan KissMedical School, Department of Public Health Medicine, University of Pecs, Szigeti str. 12, HU-7624, Pecs, Hungary.
Ferenc VinczeFaculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Debrecen, Kassai str. 26, Debrecen, HU-4028, Hungary.
Anita PalinkasFaculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Debrecen, Kassai str. 26, Debrecen, HU-4028, Hungary.
Abel PerjesHungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta, Fortuna str. 10, Budapest, H-1014, Hungary.
Szilard RendekiMedical School, Medical Skills Education and Innovation Centre, Universitys of Pecs, Szigeti str. 12, Pecs, HU-7624, Hungary.
Peter MarotiHungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta, Fortuna str. 10, Budapest, H-1014, Hungary.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Telemedicine offers promising solutions to healthcare challenges in underserved rural areas. This study evaluates a public insurance-based telemedicine system implemented in Hungary, where 12 Mobile Healthcare Service Centers (MHSCs) provided general and specialist care to over 21,000 residents across five rural districts. During the six-month study period, 1,889 individuals received medical care through 4,118 healthcare events. The intervention led to the identification of 105 new hypertension cases and 26 new diabetes cases. Patient feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with 96% willing to recommend the service, and nearly all doctors expressing a willingness to continue participation. A 10% reduction in relative referral rates was observed, suggesting that the system helped alleviate pressure on traditional healthcare providers. Additionally, 2,026 screenings, 1,572 chronic care visits, and 151 laboratory tests were conducted, demonstrating the broad utilization of the service. The estimated monthly operational cost of the telemedicine system was approximately $250,000, which exceeded the national primary healthcare funding of $160,000 per month, highlighting the financial implications of scaling similar programs. The findings indicate that mobile telemedicine services can improve healthcare accessibility in underserved areas and reduce healthcare disparities. Further research is needed to assess the long-term effects of such interventions.

Indexed as

Health Services AccessibilityMobile Health UnitsRural Health ServicesTelemedicineAdultAgedFemaleHumansHungaryMaleMiddle AgedRural PopulationMobile health clinicsPoint-of-care technologyRural healthcare accessTelemedicineTelemedicine ecosystemUnderserved populations

Identifiers

PMID40221601
PMCPMC11993730

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.