Table 1 Summary characteristic of included studies in systematic review
From: The role of telehealth during COVID-19 outbreak: a systematic review based on current evidence
Author/ Date | Country | Design of study | Type of telehealth | Key outputs | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Davarpanah et al./ 17/02/2020 [33] | Iran | Case study | Social media platform including messaging software, WhatsApp, and email | • Faster rate in teleradiology services delivery • Assembled an opinion teleradiology group • Create volunteer network coordinator (humanitarian) • Triage of COVID-19 infection using radiology experts from centers from around the world | • Eliminated the need to send patients to overpopulated hospitals • Provided near real-time consultation from experts located around the country and the world • Addressed the local need • Could solve the shortage of on-site thoracic radiologists • Provided consultation in regions with limited access to thoracic radiology expertise • Established consensus among radiologists through discussions in the online group |
Zhai et al./ 23/02/2020 [34] | China, UK | Case study | Live video conferencing and mobile | • Providing clinicians and patients with immediate diagnosis and consultations regarding COVID-19 • Wireless remote monitoring of patients • Remote multiple disciplinary care • Education and training of patients • Performing the collects, transforms, and evaluation of patients health data | • Led to capture, store and process patient medical records • Achieved real-time data exchange • Accessed prevention and treatment guidelines, and guidance on drug use and management of coronavirus patients • Prevented direct physical contact • Reduced the risk of exposure to respiratory secretions • Prevented the potential transmission of infection to physicians and nurses • Helped the specialist treatment team to provide primary care guidance on coronavirus for all physicians and nurses |
Reeves et al./ 24/03/2020 [35] | USA | Cross-sectional | Phone calls and electronic health record (EHR) | • Triage of patient with phone calls • Screening or treating a patient in an ambulatory care setting • Screening or treating a patient in an urgent care setting • Offering decision support for those in need of testing • Repurposing and utilizing EHR optimization team to train end users’ video visit workflow • Telemedicine–video visits for outpatient clinic encounters | • Managing patients’ concerns • Tracking of COVID-related infection in EHR embedded database • Tracking of persons under investigation (PUI) in EHR embedded database • Reports regarding prior PUI, existing and pending tests, training completion and screening/documentation compliance • Updated travel and symptom screening, testing criteria, and clear guidance on best setting and location of patient care • Clinical decision support on testing criteria, recommended additional work-up, admission criteria/protocol, and discharge information • Standard documentation of any screening of patient visitors for symptoms of infection • Template excuse letter for providers to recommend working from home |
Nicol et al./ 24/03/2020 [36] | USA, Canada | Cross-sectional | Social media or other digital platforms including telephone, email and videoconferencing | • Facilitating electronic informed consent, digital assessment tools and virtual study visits • E-consent, remote assessment, and telephone or videoconference visits • Provide e-consultation or advice to health providers | • Helped in implementing social distancing • Could be implemented far from high-risk areas such as hospital grounds • Reduced the use of public transportation • Provided all of the components of human research protection • Reduced viral transmission risk from in-person contacts • Prevented morbidity in these at-risk individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic • Communicated accurate and clear information, at a time when older adults and their family are bombarded with contradictory and confusing messages |
Simcock et al./ 24/03/2020 [37] | UK, USA, Italy | Cross-sectional | Telephone, video, and laptops | • Telephone follow up in multiple cancer settings (endometrial, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer) • Use in remote monitoring • Provide video consultations | • Minimized the risk of COVID-19 transmission during radiotherapy treatment • Reduced infection risk and the risks of workforce depletion • Facilitated access to hospital data or to treatment planning systems |
Greenhawt/ 26/03/2020 [38] | USA, Canada | Cross-sectional | Telephone, electronic medical record, patient portal messaging, digital photography, video using a HIPAA-compliant platform, website | • Delivering allergy services • Phone triage as available options in allergic rhinitis • Provide telehealth visits • Follow-up visits, via phone triage or telehealth in patients with urticaria, angioedema, and atopic dermatitis • Service adjustment for food allergy, Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), drug allergy, and anaphylaxis • Service adjustment for allergic skin disorders and • Service adjustment for immunodeficiency • Immunotherapy appointments or schedules • Served as a portal for sharing timely information to large numbers of patients | • Limited the exposure of providers to potentially infected patients • Provided access to rapid evaluation for potential COVID-19 infection • Reduced exposure of patients • Preserved social distancing • Could meet healthcare needs • Helped visualize any rash • Reduced the need for face-to-face visits • Virtual care options to ensure continuity of care • Was Effective for managing patients with chronic conditions • Provided an opportunity to introduce telehealth in to an allergy practice • Reduced burden on practice resources |
Cohen et al./ 07/04/2020 [39] | USA | Cross-sectional | Applications including Apple FaceTime, Facebook Messenger video chat, Skype, and Mobile health technology | • To develop staffing plans • Using to conducted billing of patients • To appropriately-performed telehealth visits • Use in psychological treatments • contact with family, friends and colleagues • In-person evaluation, telemedicine evaluation if high-risk for infection (patient or location-specific) | • Minimized “unnecessary” exposure of hospital staff to patients, and to themselves • Led to early treatment associated with better outcomes |
Zhou et al./ 09/04/2020 [40] | China | Case-control | combined mode of MOOC micro-video | • The live broadcast of the training video • Can be watched repeatedly videos • Was applied to the communication ability training of new nurses | • Satisfaction was higher • Understanding was easy • The teachers’ evaluation and harvest were higher • Obtained the real clinical experience • Helped to alleviate the lack of clinical nursing teaching resources |