Is Telemedicine as Effective as Conventional Healthcare?

Management of diabetes

An analysis of multiple studies found that telemedicine interventions are more effective than usual care, especially for type 2 diabetes. Another review found that telemedicine has the potential to improve clinical outcomes in patients with diabetes.

Management of Hypertension

Several randomised controlled trials have documented that the regular and prolonged use of blood pressure (BP) telemonitoring with telecounseling and case management under the supervision of a healthcare professional is associated with a significant BP reduction compared to usual care, particularly for high-risk patients.

Postoperative Care

Studies report comparable clinical outcomes for telemedicine as for traditional clinic follow-up. A trial including 200 general surgery patients found no difference in clinical results or number of visits between those randomised to outpatient clinic or telemedicine for follow-up.

Mental Health Care

Mental health consultations were the most common use of telehealth during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. A review of telemedicine interventions to address maternal depression (MD) found significantly improved MD outcomes in 80% of studies. Telemedicine interventions significantly improved anxiety outcomes in 75% of studies that measured the outcome.

How does telemedicine compare for patient satisfaction?

A survey of telemedicine satisfaction in primary care found high levels of satisfaction with telemedicine visits. Factors more highly associated with satisfaction were saving more than 30 minutes of travel time, ease of connection, and video rather than telephone visits.

One study from New York City, during the COVID-19 pandemic, found that patient satisfaction with video visits was high and not a barrier toward a paradigm shift away from traditional in-person clinic visits.

A review of studies involving the use of telemedicine for postoperative care found that the majority of patients reported willingness to use telemedicine as they thought it would aid communication with their healthcare provider. Those who had previously used telemedicine reported high satisfaction and ease of use.

A systematic review of research into telemedicine use in haematology found that the vast majority of telemedicine interventions studied were shown to have a positive or neutral impact on patients and their families.

The advantages of telemedicine for mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic have been well documented. A survey in the USA found that 62% of patients receiving mental healthcare would prefer to conduct routine visits virtually, even after the pandemic has ended.

In conclusion

When used carefully and appropriately, telemedicine has great potential to improve both clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction in many areas of healthcare.

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