{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T11:35:14Z","timestamp":1786707314029,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"Danish Medical Association","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Dan Med J"],"abstract":"<jats:p>INTRODUCTION. Seafaring is associated with higher occupational hazards and health risks than shore-based work. Telemedical maritime assistance services (TMAS) provide remote specialist medical support to seafarers. In Denmark, a unified national TMAS, Radio Medical Denmark (RMD), was established in 1995. This study aimed to describe the 30-year development and clinical activity of the RMD.\nMETHODS. This was a single-centre retrospective cohort study of all consultations provided by the RMD from 1 September 1995 to 31 December 2024. Data were extracted from annual reports based on original medical files, with organisational information from contracts and guidelines. No identifiable patient data were collected.\nRESULTS. The RMD assisted 49,999 seafarers over 30 years, with annual consultations increasing from 240 in 1995 to 4,829 in 2024. The proportion requiring disembarkation or evacuation declined from &gt;10% at the outset to approximately 5% today. The most common diagnoses were musculoskeletal (18.8%), dermatological (14.6%) and abdominal (11.5%). Since 2014, the proportion of Danish seafarers decreased from 38% to 15.1%, while Indian and Filipino seafarers increased substantially. Merchant vessels accounted for 55.7% of contacts, predominantly in the North Sea.\nCONCLUSIONS. RMD has evolved into one of Europe\u2019s largest public TMAS providers. Centralisation within an academic emergency department, combined with structured training and research, has supported sustained growth, improved decision-making and reduced evacuation rates.\nFUNDING. None.\nTRIAL REGISTRATION. Not relevant.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.61409\/a01260016","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,3]],"date-time":"2026-07-03T10:41:43Z","timestamp":1783075303000},"page":"1-8","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Telemedical maritime assistance over three decades in Denmark"],"prefix":"10.61409","author":[{"given":"Peter","family":"Biesenbach","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Line Emilie Lilholm","family":"Laugesen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jan","family":"Vork","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"S\u00f8ren","family":"Kristensen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"40208","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2016,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Oldenburg M, Jensen HJ. Merchant seafaring: a changing and hazardous occupation. Occup Environ Med. 2012;69(9):685-688. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/oemed-2011-100619","DOI":"10.1136\/oemed-2011-100619"},{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Poulsen TR, Burr H, Hansen HL, Jepsen JR. Health of Danish seafarers and fishermen 1970-2010: what have register-based studies found? Scand J Public Health. 2014;42(6):534-545. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1403494814534538","DOI":"10.1177\/1403494814534538"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Rinne H, Laaksonen M, Notkola V, Shemeikka R. Mortality among seafarers: a register-based follow-up study. Occup Med (Lond). 2020;70(2):119-122. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/occmed\/kqaa002","DOI":"10.1093\/occmed\/kqaa002"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Battineni G, Chintalapudi N, Gagliardi G, Amenta F. The use of radio and telemedicine by TMAS centers in provision of medical care to seafarers: a systematic review. J Pers Med. 2023;13(7):1171. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jpm13071171","DOI":"10.3390\/jpm13071171"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Sagaro GG, Amenta F. Past, present, and future perspectives of telemedical assistance at sea: a systematic review. Int Marit Health. 2020;71(2):97-104. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5603\/IMH.2020.0018","DOI":"10.5603\/IMH.2020.0018"},{"issue":"3","key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.1016\/j.admp.2013.07.155","article-title":"The business case for telemedicine","volume":"64","author":"Henny","year":"2013","unstructured":"Henny C, Hartington K, Scott S, et al. The business case for telemedicine. Int Marit Health. 2013;64(3):129-135","journal-title":"Int Marit Health"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Mahdi SS, Amenta F. Eighty years of CIRM. A journey of commitment and dedication in providing maritime medical assistance. Int Marit Health. 2016;67(4):187-195. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5603\/IMH.2016.0036","DOI":"10.5603\/IMH.2016.0036"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Strange-Vognsen HH, Knudstorp N. Radio medical advice - the Danish experience. J R Nav Med Serv. 1995;81(1):12-15. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/jrnms-81-12","DOI":"10.1136\/jrnms-81-12"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, et al. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. J Clin Epidemiol. 2008;61(4):344-349. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jclinepi.2007.11.008","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclinepi.2007.11.008"},{"key":"ref9","unstructured":"Stannard S, Vork JC. Towards a standardized curriculum for TMAS doctors: report from an International Maritime Health Association workshop. International Maritime Health Association, 2025. https:\/\/imhf-portal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Towards-a-Standardized-Curriculum-for-TMAS-doctors.docx.pdf (May 2026)"},{"key":"ref10","unstructured":"Seafarers' Trust. Telemedical maritime assistance services. 2024 Collaborative Report. Seafarers' Trust, 2024. www.seafarerstrust.org\/publications\/tmas-2024-collaborative-report (May 2026)"},{"key":"ref11","unstructured":"Registre International Fran\u00e7ais. Report on Maritime telemedical assistance service (TMAS). Registre International Fran\u00e7ais, 2024"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Westlund K, Attvall S, Nilsson R, Jensen OC. Telemedical Maritime Assistance Service (TMAS) to Swedish merchant and passenger ships 1997-2012. Int Marit Health. 2016;67(1):24-30. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5603\/IMH.2016.0006","DOI":"10.5603\/IMH.2016.0006"},{"key":"ref13","unstructured":"Centro Radio-M\u00e9dico Espa\u00f1ol. Report Instituto Social de la Marina 2024. Centro Radio-M\u00e9dico Espa\u00f1ol, 2024"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Herttua K, Gerd\u00f8e-Kristensen S, Vork JC, Nielsen JB. Age and nationality in relation to injuries at sea among officers and non-officers: a study based on contacts from ships to Telemedical Assistance Service in Denmark. BMJ Open. 2019;9(12):e034502. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bmjopen-2019-034502","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2019-034502"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Tang L, Bhattacharya S. Revisiting the shortage of seafarer officers: a new approach to analysing statistical data. WMU J Marit Aff. 2021;20:483-496. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s13437-021-00252-0","DOI":"10.1007\/s13437-021-00252-0"}],"container-title":["Danish Medical Journal"],"original-title":[],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T11:04:48Z","timestamp":1786705488000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/ugeskriftet.dk\/dmj\/A01260016"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2016,6]]},"references-count":16,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.61409\/a01260016","relation":{},"ISSN":["2245-1919"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2245-1919","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2016,6]]}}}