JOURNAL OF TELEMEDICINE AND TELECARE

Telehealth utilization among patients with chronic disease: Insights from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey
Lee M and Nam S
Telehealth has been effectively used for managing chronic disease conditions; however, utilization patterns vary across populations. This study aims to examine the prevalence of telehealth utilization, the associated factors of telehealth modality (e.g., audio, video) among patients with chronic diseases, and the role of health literacy.
Virtual discharge counseling: An assessment of scalability of a novel patient educational process across a multi-site urban emergency department
Leybov V, Ross J, Grabinski Z, Smith SW, Wang Y, Wittman IG, Caspers CG, Tse AB and Conroy N
Inadequate counseling at patient discharge from the emergency department can lead to adverse patient outcomes. Virtual discharge counseling can address gaps in discharge counseling and improve patients' understanding of instructions.
Assessing the impact of telemedicine interventions on systolic and diastolic blood pressure reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Moulaei K, Parhizkar Roudsari P, Shahrokhi Sardoo A, Hosseini M, Anabestani M, Moulaei R, Sabet B and Afrash MR
Hypertension, characterized by high blood pressure, poses a significant risk for cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and heart attack. Managing it is particularly challenging in areas with limited healthcare access and for patients who cannot attend regular in-person visits. Telemedicine interventions offer a promising solution by improving patient adherence and facilitating timely treatment adjustments. This study aims to systematically evaluate the impact of these telemedicine interventions on reducing systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Management of COVID-19 in the community using virtual care: An Australian perspective
Yang PF, Errington BR, Bartyn J, Liu R, Bein KJ, Hutchings OR and Davis RA
Virtual care and remote monitoring were widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, early evaluations of effectiveness were often inconclusive due to low rates of enrolment and limited data. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual care in managing individuals in community-based self-isolation and quarantine in Australia during this pandemic.
Patients' preferences for virtual outpatient consultations and health care professionals' assessment of suitability for their patients: A single-centre survey
Schultz ANØ, Honnens S, Bauer EH, Söderberg K, Kidholm K, Christensen R, Kampmann JD, Christiansen A and Brandt F
To explore patients' preferences regarding virtual consultations (via telephone or video) and to explore healthcare professionals' assessment of whether virtual consultations can maintain the same clinical quality as in-person consultations for outpatient care.
Feasibility, safety and preliminary efficacy of telehealth-delivered group exercise for people with type 2 diabetes: A pilot trial
Cox ER, Young MD, Keating SE, Drew RJ, Kolasinski M and Plotnikoff RC
Several barriers can preclude people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) from in-person exercise session participation. Telehealth may be an alternative mode of service delivery to increase uptake. We evaluated the feasibility, safety and preliminary efficacy of delivering group exercise via telehealth for people with T2D.
Patterns of eConsult use: A retrospective analysis of usage comparing two models deployed at an academic medical center
Grim S, Miller D, Mooneyhan E, Kessler R, Fuhlbrigge A and Thomas JF
Electronic consultations (eConsults) have been implemented by numerous academic medical centers (AMCs) to improve communication and address access to specialty care. As these models proliferate, we must understand their comparative benefit and use in various settings.
A comprehensive evaluation tool to assess community capacity and readiness for virtual care implementation
Deason JP, Adams SJ, Khan A, Lovo S and Mendez I
The rapid evolution and implementation of virtual care technologies for clinical use often exceeds the development of standardized implementation protocols, leading to gaps in the equitable and sustainable adoption of virtual care services, particularly in rural and remote areas. This paper introduces a comprehensive evaluation tool designed to assess community capacity and readiness for virtual care.
Association between telehealth use in oncology and downstream utilization at a large academic health system
Kakani P, Singer AE, Cui M, Villaflores CW, Vangala S, Cuevas MA, Han M, Damberg CL, Mafi JN and Sarkisian CA
While telemedicine has been beneficial in oncology by reducing infectious exposure and improving access for patients with poor functional status, it also has intrinsic limitations, including the inability to perform a physical exam, which could lead to increased downstream utilization in this population at high risk of medical decompensation. We conducted a retrospective cohort study investigating the relationship between telemedicine use in oncology and subsequent outpatient oncology encounters, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations.
Teledermoscopic triage of melanoma-suspicious skin lesions is safe: A retrospective comparative diagnostic accuracy study with multiple assessors
Nervil GG, Ternov NK, Lorentzen H, Kromann C, Ingvar Å, Nielsen K, Tolsgaard M, Vestergaard T and Hölmich LR
The rising incidence of melanoma and the high number of benign lesions excised due to diagnostic uncertainty highlight the need for effective patient triage. This study assesses the safety and accuracy of teledermoscopic triage on a high-prevalence case set with pre-triaged, challenging, melanoma-suspicious lesions.
Telehealth versus face-to-face delivery of speech language pathology services: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Scott AM, Clark J, Cardona M, Atkins T, Peiris R, Greenwood H, Wenke R, Cardell E and Glasziou P
There is an increasing demand for the provision of speech language pathology (SLP) services via telehealth. Therefore, we systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials comparing telehealth to face-to-face provision of SLP services.
Use of telemedicine for trauma care since the Russian invasion of Ukraine: A qualitative assessment
Koehlmoos TP, Kanagaratnam A, Korona-Bailey J, Amowitz Z, Maddox JS, Hamm TE, Berezyuk O and Lawry LL
Ukraine's health and trauma system has been detrimentally impacted since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. Use of telemedicine became critical to providing timely medical care. As such, the aim of this study was to describe telemedicine's use in the health and trauma system of Ukraine following the full-scale invasion.
Sustainability of health outcomes of patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus after completing 6 months of remote tele-monitoring: Two-year results from a randomised controlled trial (OPTIMUM)
Tan NC, Tyagi S, Koh YLE, Gong PP, Koh GCH and Lee CS
Meta-analysis shows that home tele-monitoring (HTM) improves glycaemic control in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) up to 12 months, but their health outcomes after HTM cessation remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the health outcomes of these patients 18 months after completing 6 months of HTM, compared to standard care.
The impact of a professional development workshop on healthcare professionals' knowledge and readiness to use telehealth etiquette in virtual care
Pittmann R, Danaher-Garcia N, Adair White BA and Thompson A
Telehealth is a growing part of the healthcare field, and healthcare professionals and trainees require training not only on the clinical skills relevant to telehealth but also on professionalism skills or telehealth etiquette. As healthcare outcomes are influenced by the patient-provider relationship, training healthcare professionals on telehealth etiquette skills is imperative.
Effect of telemedicine interventions on weight loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Moulaei K, Moulaei R, Bahaadinbeigy K and Bastaminejad S
Obesity and its associated health challenges represent a pressing global concern. Telemedicine interventions offer a promising solution for effective weight loss support. This study examines the impact of telemedicine interventions on weight loss support.
Enhancing endometriosis care with telehealth: Opportunities and challenges
Perelmuter S and Shin JH
Endometriosis affects a significant portion of women during their reproductive years, causing substantial pain and impacting their quality of life. Telehealth services have emerged as a promising avenue for enhancing endometriosis care, especially in the post-COVID-19 era. For endometriosis patients, who often require frequent appointments and specialized care, telehealth offers a convenient and accessible solution, particularly for addressing pain management and interdisciplinary concerns. Despite the challenges posed by the lack of physical examinations in telehealth, studies show that it can be a viable option for endometriosis care. Integrating telehealth with in-person visits for initial assessments can build trust and ensure comprehensive care delivery. Moreover, telehealth facilitates collaboration among multidisciplinary teams, including gynecologists, psychologists, and physiotherapists, to provide holistic treatment plans addressing physical, psychological, and interpersonal aspects of endometriosis. Here, we explore the potential benefits of telehealth in managing endometriosis, highlighting its role in providing comprehensive, multidisciplinary care while overcoming barriers like diagnostic delays and limited access to specialists. Further research and integration of telehealth into routine practice are warranted to maximize its benefits and address the complex challenges associated with endometriosis management.
The efficacy of mobile applications for reducing depression in adolescents and young adults: A meta-analysis of randomized control trials
Lee CJ, Bazan M, Wong J, Yoshida T, Jantarabenjakul W, Lin SY and Papatheodorou S
Mobile applications for mental health have the potential to aid people with mental health disorders, especially depression, by providing them with tools and coping mechanisms. Adolescents and young adults, being at risk of depressive symptoms and leading mobile users, are among the main targets of using mobile applications to alleviate symptoms.
Development and validation of the Telehealth Etiquette Competency Checklist: A Delphi study
Pittmann R, Danaher-Garcia N, Adair White BA and Thompson A
Providing telehealth care requires unique professionalism skills (i.e. telehealth etiquette) to ensure patients have a positive experience. Given the effect of patient-provider relationships on healthcare outcomes and the limited evidence for healthcare professionals to learn and practice these skills, developing a telehealth etiquette competency tool is necessary.
Using telepractice for language sampling during COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review
Voniati L, Armostis S, Georgiou R and Tafiadis D
Language sampling is a widely used means of language assessment; it is based on the collection and transcription of a child's language production in various communicative contexts. The need for social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic impacted language sampling and speech and language therapy services in general. The in-person assessment became extremely challenging leading to the immediate increased use of telepractice in speech and language therapy. This scoping review aimed to identify the use of telepractice for language sampling in speech and language therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A randomised trial of real-time video counselling for smoking cessation among rural and remote residents
Tzelepis F, Wiggers J, Paul CL, Mitchell A, Byrnes E, Byaruhanga J, Wilson L, Lecathelinais C, Bowman J, Campbell E and Gillham K
Despite its reach, very limited evidence exists on the effectiveness of real-time video counselling for smoking cessation (e.g. via Skype). This study compared the effectiveness of real-time video counselling for smoking cessation to (a) telephone counselling; and (b) a control among rural and remote residents.
A case of telehealth-directed emergency front-of-neck access (FONA)
Powell B, Newton A and Gibbs C
In this case, we describe the completion of emergency front-of-neck access by a novice provider facilitated by specialist telehealth support. A facility with limited advanced airway skills requested telehealth support for a critically unwell patient with severe hypoxic respiratory failure and acute delirium. Attempts to temporise his physiology with ketamine-facilitated non-invasive ventilation were unsuccessful, and he proceeded to rapid sequence intubation. Ultimately, intubation was unsuccessful and attempts at ventilation by laryngeal mask also failed. A Cannot Intubate, Cannot Oxygenate scenario was identified. The referring team had significant anxiety about performing a surgical front-of-neck access procedure. However, with telehealth support, this was ultimately completed by a novice provider, and the patient stabilised. The key issue identified was the need for the telehealth provider to take clinical governance of the procedure. The referring team also required assistance in completing an adequate neck incision, responding to bleeding, and determining the preferred technique.