Telehealth services for global emergencies: implications for COVID-19: a scoping review based on current evidence
Abstract Introduction The availability of low-cost computing and digital telecommunication in the 1980s made telehealth practicable. Telehealth has the capacity to improve healthcare access and outcomes for patients while reducing healthcare costs across a wide range of health conditions and situati...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09584-4 |
| _version_ | 1797811539938377728 |
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| author | Jonathan Kissi Caleb Annobil Nathan Kumasenu Mensah Joseph Owusu-Marfo Ernest Osei Zenobia Wooduwa Asmah |
| author_facet | Jonathan Kissi Caleb Annobil Nathan Kumasenu Mensah Joseph Owusu-Marfo Ernest Osei Zenobia Wooduwa Asmah |
| author_sort | Jonathan Kissi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction The availability of low-cost computing and digital telecommunication in the 1980s made telehealth practicable. Telehealth has the capacity to improve healthcare access and outcomes for patients while reducing healthcare costs across a wide range of health conditions and situations. Objective This study compares the adoption, advantages, and challenges of telehealth services between high-income (HICs) and low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. The key search terms were: “Telehealth”, “Telehealth in HICs”, “Telehealth in LMICs”, “Telehealth before COVID-19”, “Telehealth during COVID-19”. We searched exhaustively ProQuest, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, CINAHL, and EMBASE databases from 2012. Booleans OR/AND were combined with key search terms to increase relevant search results. The literature search and selection process followed the Sample, Phenomena of Interest, Design, Evaluation, and Research (SPIDER) question format. Results The adoption of telehealth before COVID-19 was generally low in both HICs and LMICs. The impact of COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of telehealth at the facility level but not nationwide in both high-income countries and LMICs. The rapid adoption of telehealth at the facility level in both high-income and LMICs introduced several challenges that are unique to each country and need to be addressed. Conclusion The lack of national policies and regulations is making the adoption of telehealth at the national level challenging in both high and low-middle-income countries. Governments and Stakeholders of healthcare must consider telehealth as a healthcare procedure that should be deployed in clinical working procedures. Primary quantitative and qualitative studies must be conducted to address challenges encountered during the pilot implementation of telehealth services in both high-income countries and LMICs before and during pandemics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:25:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-50af9ce816a840f5a6f00d6905eaf6c2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:25:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-50af9ce816a840f5a6f00d6905eaf6c22023-06-04T11:24:33ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632023-06-0123111110.1186/s12913-023-09584-4Telehealth services for global emergencies: implications for COVID-19: a scoping review based on current evidenceJonathan Kissi0Caleb Annobil1Nathan Kumasenu Mensah2Joseph Owusu-Marfo3Ernest Osei4Zenobia Wooduwa Asmah5School of Allied Health Sciences, Department of Health Information Management. University Post Office, University of Cape CoastSchool of Allied Health Sciences, Department of Health Information Management. University Post Office, University of Cape CoastSchool of Allied Health Sciences, Department of Health Information Management. University Post Office, University of Cape CoastDepartment of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Disease Control, University for Development StudiesFaculty of Health and Allied Health, Department of Public Health, Catholic University College of GhanaSchool of Allied Health Sciences, Department of Health Information Management. University Post Office, University of Cape CoastAbstract Introduction The availability of low-cost computing and digital telecommunication in the 1980s made telehealth practicable. Telehealth has the capacity to improve healthcare access and outcomes for patients while reducing healthcare costs across a wide range of health conditions and situations. Objective This study compares the adoption, advantages, and challenges of telehealth services between high-income (HICs) and low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. The key search terms were: “Telehealth”, “Telehealth in HICs”, “Telehealth in LMICs”, “Telehealth before COVID-19”, “Telehealth during COVID-19”. We searched exhaustively ProQuest, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, CINAHL, and EMBASE databases from 2012. Booleans OR/AND were combined with key search terms to increase relevant search results. The literature search and selection process followed the Sample, Phenomena of Interest, Design, Evaluation, and Research (SPIDER) question format. Results The adoption of telehealth before COVID-19 was generally low in both HICs and LMICs. The impact of COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of telehealth at the facility level but not nationwide in both high-income countries and LMICs. The rapid adoption of telehealth at the facility level in both high-income and LMICs introduced several challenges that are unique to each country and need to be addressed. Conclusion The lack of national policies and regulations is making the adoption of telehealth at the national level challenging in both high and low-middle-income countries. Governments and Stakeholders of healthcare must consider telehealth as a healthcare procedure that should be deployed in clinical working procedures. Primary quantitative and qualitative studies must be conducted to address challenges encountered during the pilot implementation of telehealth services in both high-income countries and LMICs before and during pandemics.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09584-4High-income and low-and-middle-income countriesPandemicsCOVID-19Telehealth servicesTelecommunications |
| spellingShingle | Jonathan Kissi Caleb Annobil Nathan Kumasenu Mensah Joseph Owusu-Marfo Ernest Osei Zenobia Wooduwa Asmah Telehealth services for global emergencies: implications for COVID-19: a scoping review based on current evidence BMC Health Services Research High-income and low-and-middle-income countries Pandemics COVID-19 Telehealth services Telecommunications |
| title | Telehealth services for global emergencies: implications for COVID-19: a scoping review based on current evidence |
| title_full | Telehealth services for global emergencies: implications for COVID-19: a scoping review based on current evidence |
| title_fullStr | Telehealth services for global emergencies: implications for COVID-19: a scoping review based on current evidence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Telehealth services for global emergencies: implications for COVID-19: a scoping review based on current evidence |
| title_short | Telehealth services for global emergencies: implications for COVID-19: a scoping review based on current evidence |
| title_sort | telehealth services for global emergencies implications for covid 19 a scoping review based on current evidence |
| topic | High-income and low-and-middle-income countries Pandemics COVID-19 Telehealth services Telecommunications |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09584-4 |
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