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Introduction: It is well known that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. In Romania in 2015, cardiovascular diseases led to 153.953 deaths, representing 59.3% of deaths from all causes. Most people in Romania today have an unhealthy lifestyle, characterised mainly by a poor nutritious diet, low physical activity and a lack of medical screening. Purpose: Considering these deficits of secondary prevention in the treatment line of the Romanian cardiovascular patient, we aimed through this study to assess the current access of the Romanian population to on-site and remote cardiac rehabilitation programs as well as their opinion regarding the telemedicine for future cardiovascular care modelling. Methods: It was a prospective observational study, which was carried out by means of an online questionnaire composed of 26 items. It was dispersed in the online environment, including Social Media platforms, where it was active for ten weeks. Results: Our online evaluation questionnaire had 1115 participants, with a minimum age of 18 years old, a preponderance of female sex and a predominantly urban background. The study participants were from all educational levels, from low to superior. We observed that most participants have an internet connection at home and use at least one form of technology daily, but most have never used a telemedicine service. Conclusions: In conclusion, the access of cardiovascular patients to on-site cardiac rehabilitation services is extremely low and for remote ones, it is almost non-existent. For a middle-income country like Romania with such a high incidence of cardiovascular disease, it is almost mandatory to provide publicly funded cardiac telerehabilitation services also for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Telemedicine is the service of delivering medical care from a distance through the means of modern technology. It has many advantages, including improved access, decreased costs for both patients and clinics, more flexibility and availability, as well as more precise and individualized therapies. However, it is equally important to take into consideration all the challenges associated with this innovative way of providing care. This virtual technology has had an exponential growth, especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, because it delivers great outcomes and suggests exciting future promises. Methods: The study involved the collection of responses from an online questionnaire comprising 26 questions that was distributed to healthcare professionals in Romania. Results: The questionnaire was completed by a number of 1017 healthcare professionals. We investigated and analyzed whether telehealth is seen as an important constituent of the healthcare system, if it is perceived as necessary, safe, well-managed by lawmakers, and easy to use, what advantages it has, what common practices specialists already employ and, additionally, the openness toward becoming more digitally educated for the purpose of streamlining the use of telemedicine. Conclusions: This paper reports on the perception of telemedicine among healthcare professionals in Romania, as constructive feedback represents an essential piece of the puzzle in assuring the smooth transition toward this facet of modern healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]