The Impact of Telemedicine during Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Pandemic and Future Perspectives: A Systematic Review

Abstract

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread worldwide since December 2019, causing the COVID-19 pandemic. Several measures have taken place in many countries to avoid further spread of the virus and to manage infected people according to disease severity. Notably, telemedicine (TM) was successfully used to manage less severe patients. Our aim was to assess the impact and the edges of using TM in home-isolated or hospitalized patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection and its further application. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We performed a systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, focusing on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English and available on PubMed database. Full texts were blindly reviewed and then assessed according to PICO model. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Our research identified a total of 1,959 records, of which 24 were potentially eligible through the articles full-text review. Six papers were included for data extraction and 18 articles were excluded: 10 articles were not RCTs and 8 articles did not involve SARS-CoV-2 patients. The TM application showed an improvement in psychological stress, mental disorders, and a significant reduction of general stress in patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection. The effectiveness of using TM in rehabilitative respiratory programs has been also reported. Furthermore, the benefits of TM application in tailored monitoring of vital parameters in home-isolated patients helped clinicians to early identify a deterioration of clinical conditions. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The use of TM during COVID-19 pandemic represented a novel, intriguing, versatile, and useful tool to support clinical practice. This evidence suggests considering TM in a wider range of clinical applications.

Exploring the Use of Mobile Health for the Rehabilitation of Long COVID Patients: A Scoping Review

“…It has demonstrated notable improvements in alleviating psychological stress, addressing mental disorders, and significantly reducing overall stress levels among COVID-19 patients. Additionally, telemedicine was proven effective in providing benefits such as the tailored monitoring of vital parameters for home-isolated patients and facilitating clinicians in the early identification of clinical deterioration [49].…”

Enhancing Precision of Telemonitoring of COVID-19 Patients through Expert System Based on IoT Data Elaboration

“…Through the use of telemonitoring systems, the hospital or community physicians have remote control of the evolution of the disease, ultimately enabling rapid intervention in the case of early signs of deterioration [16] and maximizing the possibility of establishing effective therapies aimed at reducing the risk of hospitalization [17] and mortality [18]. Modern remote monitoring systems also allow for flagging subjects that are at higher risk of deterioration, thus enabling streamlining and reducing repeated home visits for stable patients [19].…”