Introduction: The gaps in geriatric care provision has become prominent with the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 pandemic). Despite the potential capability of the telehealth model to address the specific needs of geriatric patients, only a few geriatric guidelines have focused on the telehealth model during the pandemic. The following systematic review explores the current evidence of telehealth use and applications in geriatric care, which emerged post the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Three databases, including PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar, were searched by three independent reviewers to identify relevant studies. Results: Seven studies were included in this review; two focused on the effectiveness of telehealth, three focused on the experiences of patients and providers, and two focused on the use of telehealth. Telehealth did not underperform compared to traditional care models in terms of self-efficacy, patient convenience, reduction in deferred care, increased efficiency of healthcare delivery, reduced travel issues, and improved health education. However, common challenges were disparities in access in favor of urban, cognitively sound, and younger geriatric patients. Conclusion: The current systematic review reported the latest evidence on telehealth use and access across geriatric care since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Telemedicine is gaining support from literature for being non-inferior to traditional healthcare methods, as observed in our findings.
Background: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a promising therapeutic option for managing Clostridium difficile infections (CDI). CDI is a significant health concern, particularly in antibiotic-resistant cases impairing the quality of life among the patient population. This systematic review aims to pool current clinical trial evidence of FMT (RBX2660) success rates when used for recurrent CDI in the clinical trial setting. Methods: In accordance with PRISMA Statement 2020 guidelines, the following databases were systematically searched: Embase, PubMed, and Scopus. There were no time or language restrictions. The following keywords were used in all the databases: fecal, microbiota, transplantation, recurrent, Clostridium difficile, infection, and antibiotic-resistant. Only clinical trials, controlled or single-arm, were included in this systematic review. Results: A total of five clinical trials, of which four were phase II, and one was phase III, were included. Seven hundred ninety-five participants were pooled across all trials. Patients were included in the trials with 1-2 recurrent CDI. In most cases, they had undergone standard antibiotic therapy before enrolling. The treatment success rate in the RBX2660 intervention group was 69.5% (335/482) compared to 49.6% (123/248) in the placebo group. The intervention was safe and effective, with no grade III or higher adverse events reported in treating recurrent CDI. Conclusion: RBX2660, recently approved as a therapy for recurrent CDI in the United States, is a significant milestone in expanding treatment options. This study reports the potential benefits of FMT and other microbiota-based therapies. While many challenges require addressing, including sample control and patient compliance, FMT is heading toward ongoing acceptance in the broad medical community.
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