A new approach to digital health? Virtual COVID-19 care: A scoping review

Abstract

Aims The use of virtual care enabled by digital technologies has increased, prompted by public health restrictions in response to COVID-19. Non-hospitalized persons in the acute phase of COVID-19 illness may have unique health needs while self-isolating in the community. This scoping review aimed to explore the nature of care, the use of digital technologies, and patient outcomes arising from virtual care among community-based self-isolating COVID-19 patients. Methods Literature searches for peer-reviewed articles were conducted in four bibliographic databases: CINAHL, Medline, Embase and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews between January and February 2022, followed by hand-searching reference lists of included articles. Two levels of screening using defined eligibility criteria among two independent reviewers were completed. Results Of the 773 articles retrieved, 19 were included. Results indicate that virtual care can be safe while enabling timely detection of clinical deterioration to improve the illness trajectory. COVID-19 virtual care was delivered by single health professionals or by multidisciplinary teams using a range of low-technology methods such as telephone to higher technology methods like wearable technology that transmitted physiological data to the care teams for real-time or asynchronous monitoring. Conclusion The review described the varied nature of virtual care including its design, implementation, and evaluation. Further research is needed for continued exploration on how to leverage digital health assets for the delivery of appropriate and safe virtual COVID-19 community care, which can support patient recovery, control transmission, and prevent intensifying the burden on the health care system, especially during surges.

What is current care for people with Long COVID in England? A qualitative interview study

“…Additionally, considerations such as pandemic-related infection control measures and staffing constraints within these post-COVID-19 service models may have influenced the preference and practicality of a virtual service for certain sites and individuals. 53 …”

“…Additionally, considerations such as pandemic-related infection control measures and staffing constraints within these post-COVID-19 service models may have influenced the preference and practicality of a virtual service for certain sites and individuals. 53 For people with Long COVID, the positive perception of expert care within these clinics echoes the sentiments expressed by recent research 54 stressing the importance of multidisciplinary care teams in addressing the complex and varied symptomatology of Long COVID. While immediate clinical improvement may not always be observed, many people living with Long COVID described the transformative nature of their interactions with healthcare professionals in these specialised clinics.…”

What are COVID-19 Patient Preferences for and Experiences with Virtual Care? Findings From a Scoping Review

“…Findings about the type and dose of virtual care, range of technologies employed, disciplines of healthcare providers, and patient clinical outcomes were reported separately. 9 This paper examined all included articles from the scoping review for their examination of COVID-19 patient experiences and preferences as they related to virtual care.…”

“…8 Community-based COVID-19 virtual care emerged to safely support illness recovery and patient monitoring; however, there was great variation in how virtual interventions were delivered and by whom. 9 These virtual programs utilized a wide range of technology, from simple telehealth to leveraging wearable technologies and portals. Staffing models for these programs ranged from one type of provider to large interdisciplinary teams.…”