Table 6 Application of telehealth in specialised services & advantages during COVID-19
High-Income Countries (HICs) | ||
Year | Author(s) | Key Findings |
2021 | Tsou et al., [34] | Telehealth is used in rural and remote emergency departments to effectively improve clinical care processes, and speed of care. Telestroke has been proven during the COVID-19 pandemic to be effective in the timely management of stroke conditions. |
2022 | Peixoto et al., [35] | In resource-challenged areas in Brazil, teleconsultation is a strategic technological tool for patients to access quality healthcare in a COVID-19 pandemic era where social distancing is a new normal. |
2021 | Freske & Malczyk, [36] | Implementation of telehealth in Nebraska has increased access to health services among rural residents and deeply impacted clinical practice. Clinicians in Nebraska plan to continue providing services via telehealth if policies and regulations are well-enacted post-COVID-19. |
2021 | Smith et al., [38] | Australia has implemented the Breastscreen Australia Remote Radiology Assessment Model (RRAM) to address the hurdle of inadequate access to a local radiological workforce in regional Australia. Majority of participants saw no difference between telehealth services and the onsite model. |
2020 | Evenski et al., [37] | The COVID-19 pandemic brought about the novel adoption of telehealth in the field of Orthopaedic Oncology, which is expected to positively impact healthcare access and compliance. 42% of participants in the Evenski et al., (2020) study rated tele-orthopedic services at 9.7 out of 10. This result is consistent with previous findings with telehealth in other specialties. |
Low-and-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) | ||
2020 | Indria et al., [33] | During the COVID-19 pandemic era, 78% of clinicians who took part in a study organised in the city of Makassar in Indonesia indicated their satisfaction with telehealth systems. 69% of participants indicated that telehealth allowed for quicker diagnosis and treatment. |
2022 | Tahir et al., [5] | In South Africa, telehealth is perceived as a mitigator of healthcare provider shortages, and poor rural and remote access to healthcare services. |
2021 | Hoffer-Hawlik et al., [6] | The application of telehealth in the area of hypertension management in LMICs saw a significant reduction in blood pressure among hypertensive patients. |