Published on: 2026-08-24
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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Patients with knee pain in Moscow can now undergo diagnostics faster and begin effective treatment thanks to a unified medical route and an intelligent admission system at the clinic. The new approach, tried by 20,000 people already, covers the process from the first complaint to the necessary treatment under continuous doctor supervision. This was reported by Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Development.
“In Moscow, we are creating unified medical care pathways so that patients receive the necessary treatment faster. Now such an algorithm has been implemented for patients with gonarthrosis — one of the most common joint diseases diagnosed in our clinics. There are many approaches to detecting and treating knee pain with varying proven effectiveness. To provide Muscovites with the fastest and most effective approach, leading city specialists have developed a unified algorithm. It covers the entire process — from smart reception at the clinic, routing to inpatient specialists, and intra-articular administration of hyaluronic acid preparations to surgery and subsequent monitoring over several months. The unified pathway, which has already been followed by 20,000 people, sets the sequence of actions but allows the doctor the opportunity to choose an individual treatment strategy if the patient’s condition requires it. We are currently continuing to improve every stage of the project,” Anastasia Rakova said.
As part of the smart intake process during booking a doctor’s appointment at the clinic, patients with complaints of feeling unwell or pain undergo an online survey to clarify symptoms. Based on the submitted complaints, the AI service analyzes the patient’s electronic medical record and then generates a brief summary for the doctor about the history of the patient’s visits, test results and prescriptions, and emergency calls related to this case, which helps the doctor better prepare for the appointment.
Since April of this year, for patients who report knee pain in the survey, the system analyzes the data electronic medical record and checks for the presence of current X-ray results or open referrals for it, takes into account the accumulated radiation exposure over the year, and also clarifies information about instrumental examinations conducted at medical institutions not connected to the unified medical information and analytical system (EMIAS). For female patients, pregnancy is additionally checked. As a result, if necessary and there are no contraindications, the system generates the required referral for the examination before the doctor’s visit. This helps to avoid situations where the specialist’s sole task during the appointment is to issue a referral.
Now the patient comes to the doctor with a ready diagnostic base, and the specialist can immediately make a clinical decision. The system itself issued referrals for radiological diagnostics to five thousand people. The diagnosis was not confirmed in three and a half thousand. Two hundred people with severe osteoarthritis were referred to the hospital, and the rest were sent to the local doctor for medication therapy. All patients saw the necessary specialist on the first visit.
The unified treatment algorithm also includes injections of hyaluronic acid into the knee joint. Previously, such procedures were prescribed at the doctor’s discretion, but now they are given to everyone who needs them, according to uniform criteria. At the second stage of the disease, injections are prescribed if the main treatment has not helped, and at the third stage — if the patient is contraindicated for joint replacement.
The patient is referred to one of the five centers of competence — City Clinical Hospitals No. 31 named after Academician G.M. Savelyeva, named after A.K. Yeramishantsev, named after S.S. Yudin, named after V.P. Demikhov, or the Moscow Multidisciplinary Scientific and Clinical Center named after S.P. Botkin.
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Thanks to digitalization, information about the performed procedure is immediately sent to the clinic. Then doctors monitor the patient’s condition within the framework of telemedicine consultations — after two to three weeks and then three to four months. This way, they can assess whether the pain has decreased and, if necessary, adjust the treatment in a timely manner.
If surgery is necessary based on the examination results, the doctor creates an electronic request for scheduled hospitalization under the “Smart Hospitalization” project. Additionally, the patient in the “EMIAS. INFO” app or electronic medical record On the mos.ru portal, in the section of the same name, one can select a hospital and the date of the operation, as well as track the status of the application online. In all complex clinical cases, the decision is made by the chief freelance trauma surgeon-orthopedist of Moscow.
Moscow has been engaged in digitizing the healthcare system for over 10 years. The foundation of this process is a unified digital platform developed by the city’s health and information technology departments. The unified pathway reflects the philosophy of healthy longevity: digital solutions help to continuously support the individual — from the first complaint and diagnosis to treatment, evaluation of its results, and subsequent monitoring. This approach aligns with the objectives of the national project. “A long and active life”. More details about Russia’s national projects and the capital’s contribution can be found at special page.
To find out how the capital has changed over the past years, what initiatives aimed at making city residents’ lives even more comfortable are currently being implemented, and what awaits Moscow and its inhabitants in the near future, you can visit a large-scale special project on the portal mos.ru, dedicated to the development of key sectors of the capital. These include transport, industry, healthcare, education, sports, and the construction sector.
On the project page “Healthcare” you can learn about how the reconstruction of city clinics and hospitals took place, as well as about the implementation of digital services and technologies based on artificial intelligence.
Quickly find out the main news on the official channels of the city of Moscow in messengers “Max” and “Telegram”.
Please note; This information is raw content received directly from the source. It is an accurate account of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.