Table 1 Summary of study characteristics
Sl. No. | Author(s) & Year | Location of study | Objectives | Type of study | Study population | Sample size | Applications | Benefits | Challenges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Das et al., 2020 [32] | India | Examine the teleconsultation experience of patients. | Cross-sectional study | Ophthalmology patients | n = 2805 | Timely response to eye problems through the use of electronic medical records (EMR). | Positive feedback from the majority of patients. | Lack of EMR system. |
2 | Anjana et al., 2020 [33] | India | Evaluate the lockdown effects on the adoption of newer technologies. | Cross-sectional study | Type 2 diabetes patients | n = 2510 | Provided diabetes education. Easy accessibility to diabetes care. | Patient satisfaction. Access to specialists. Remote care. Reduce travel time and cost. | Lack of physical touch. Lack of clarity in the legal framework. |
3 | Kumari et al., 2020 [34] | North India | Assess the use of telemedicine in follow-up care. | Cohort study | Children with respiratory illnesses | n = 188 | Successful follow-up care for children who have respiratory problems. | Recommend to others. Time and cost-saving. | Difficulty in phone communication. Connectivity issues. |
4 | Bhargava & Sarkar, 2020 [35] | India | Evaluate the usage, opinions and attitudes of dermatologists on virtual consultations. | Cross-sectional study | Dermatologists | n = 260 | New and follow-up patients. Useful for the vulnerable and older population | High physician satisfaction. Easy accessibility. Cost-effectiveness | Difficult to understand patient needs. Internet speed. Technological illiteracy. |
5 | S. Kumar et al., 2020 [36] | India | Evaluate the telemedicine effectiveness in follow-up care and patient satisfaction. | Cross-sectional study | Orthopaedic patients | n = 450 | Successful follow-up of orthopaedic patients. | High patient satisfaction Reduces long-distance travel and related costs and discomfort | Lack of physical examination. Failed patient-provider communication. Network issues Unfamiliarity with video calls. Suitability of devices |
6 | P. Kumar et al., 2020 [37] | North India | Evaluate telemedicine feasibility and different factors that contribute to effective teleconsultation. | Cross-sectional study | Patients with different haematological illnesses | n = 944 | Follow-up care. Provided advice on drug dose modification or continuation of therapy. | Avoid long travel and tiring journey. Save man-hours. Decrease school/office holidays. Reduce overcrowding. | Challenges in drug availability. Lack of physical examination. Lack of smartphones and internet facility. Limited patient education. Proper surroundings for communication. |
7 | Panda et al., 2020 [38] | Uttarakhand (North India) | Investigates the efficacy and feasibility of advanced techniques of telecommunication. | Cohort study | Children with various neurological disorders | n = 153 | Clarified queries of caregivers including drug availability and dosage and commercial brands. | A feasible and effective option for providing medical advice. | Lack of smartphones. Slow-speed internet. Inadequate technical knowledge. Fake practitioners. |
8 | Pandey et al., 2020 [39] | North India | Examine the feasibility, patient’s clinical profile and addressability using teleconsultations. | Cross-sectional study | Ophthalmologists | n = 32 | About 60% of consultations were successfully managed without physical examination. | Virtual advice is sufficient for many eye care problems. | Legal concerns. Unavailability of technology. Lack of trust in modality. Data confidentiality. Poor means of communication. Unawareness among rural people. |
9 | Sahu et al., 2020 [40] | India | Evaluate the acceptability of e-consult for substance use disorder management. | Cross-sectional study | Health care providers (HCPs) | n = 68 | Receive guidance from specialists. | Increased accessibility. Time-saving. High HCP satisfaction. | Patient privacy. Not as suitable as in-person consultations. |
10 | Agrawal and Agarwal, 2020 [41] | Indore, Madhya Pradesh | Analyse the impact of teleophthalmology in the management of eye diseases. | Cohort study | Patients with eye problems | n = 119 | Diagnosis and management of most of the cases of tele ocular surface disorders. | Advancement of digital media. Easy availability of smartphones. | Not effective in treating eye diseases that need intervention. |
11 | Garg et al., 2021 [42] | Delhi | Assess the feasibility of tele neurorehabilitation (TNR) in low-resource contexts. | Cohort study | Patients with Parkinson’s disease | n = 22 | The TNR intervention was shown to be safe, with no serious consequences. | TNR is a feasible option among patients with Parkinson’s disease | Shared smartphones. Wi-Fi bandwidth issues. Lack of rapport. Inadequate technical skills. Poor hand-motor skills. |
12 | Handa et al., 2021 [43] | North India | Analyse patient-physician experience and acceptance of teledermatology | Cohort study | Dermatology patients Dermatologists | n = 6125 n = 34 | The diagnosis was ascertained online in 93.45% of cases. 62% of acne patients reported being satisfied or very satisfied. | High satisfaction among new and follow-up patients | Duplicate entries. Privacy concerns Connectivity issues. Patient technological inability. Lack of rapport. |
13 | Mishra et al., 2021 [44] | Haryana | Examine the feasibility of telemedicine-based diabetes education | Cohort study | Hospitalised diabetes patients with COVID-19 | n = 100 | Telemedicine was accepted and appreciated by 96.0% of patients. | Effective means to provide diabetes education | Lack of internet services. Difficulty following medical advice via telephone. Difficulty operating smartphones. |
14 | Nair et al., 2021 [45] | South India | Assess the satisfaction, feasibility and effectiveness of teleconsultation | Cross-sectional study | Persons with epilepsy | n = 141 | Successful video consultations with no additional cost. Prescribed new drugs. | An acceptable and effective method to follow up on persons with epilepsy. Effectively conveyed medical advice. | Poor connectivity in rural areas. Lack of smartphones. Security and privacy concerns. |
15 | Ravindran et al., 2021 [46] | South India | Describe the teleconsultation experiences of patients during COVID-19 lockdown | Cross-sectional study | Ophthalmology patients | n = 621 | Treatment and management of eye care diseases for both new and follow-up patients. | Ensure continuity of care during the lockdown. Save travel time. Avoid overcrowding. | Poor network connectivity. Medicolegal implications. Data privacy and confidentiality. |
16 | Sandhu et al., 2021 [47] | North India | Discuss the telemedicine services available for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. | Cohort study | Rheumatoid arthritis patients | n = 74 | New and follow-up care. Medical advice regarding prescription changes and related issues. | Use in future. Recommend to others. Saves waiting time at hospitals. Eliminates travel time. High patient satisfaction. | Language of clinicians. Unfamiliar technology. No personal phone. Poor network connectivity. Lack of clarity of medical advice. Lack of expertise. |
17 | Adhikari et al., 2021 [48] | India | Evaluate the feasibility of telemedicine-based palliative interventions. | Cohort study | Advanced stage Cancer Patients | n = 547 | Follow-up care. Evaluation of treatment response. Prognostication. | High patient satisfaction. Chronic pain assessment and symptomatic supportive care. | Voice/video quality. Advice clarity. Language. |
18 | Ullas et al., 2021 [49] | South India | Investigate the adoption rates and perception of telemedicine. | Cross-sectional study | Patients with non-communicable diseases. | n = 220 | New and routine follow-up care for non-communicable diseases | Comfortable to use. An adequate surrogate for in-person consultations. | Difficult to get an appointment with a regular doctor or obtain medicine on time. Data privacy risk. Technological unfamiliarity. Limited connectivity. |
19 | Raheja et al., 2021 [50] | India | Evaluate the current telemedicine practice gaps and address them for future consultations. | Cross-sectional study | Neurosurgical patients who used telemedicine facility | n = 231 | 97% of patients reported telemedicine in neurosurgery as beneficial. | Less travel expenditure. Reduced time and resources. | Poor network. Lack of physical examination. Reduced communication/discussion. Misinterpretation of prescription. |