ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: India, the seventh-largest country in the world and the second-most populated faces enormous challenges when it comes to healthcare. The country's healthcare system was close to collapse due to the detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Telehealth, which enables treating patients remotely, played a critical role during these challenging times. This systematic review investigates in detail the role of telehealth during COVID-19 and its application beyond the pandemic. METHODS: Database searches on PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct and Web of Science were carried out for studies published on telehealth, and articles were included if they focused on any audio or video telehealth consultation during the pandemic in India. Findings were synthesised into three main themes: applications, benefits and challenges of telehealth services. Methodological quality was assessed using JBI critical appraisal tools. RESULTS: The initial search on databases yielded 1143 articles. Of those, 19 met the eligibility criteria. Findings highlight the effective utilisation of telehealth across multiple medical specialities. Although insufficient technological infrastructure and other barriers due to the virtual consultation challenge the successful implementation of telehealth in India, it has the potential to bridge the rural-urban healthcare divide with cost-effective and easily accessible services. CONCLUSION: High patient/provider satisfaction underscores the need to integrate telehealth into routine healthcare practices in the country. However, the review urges the government and healthcare practitioners to address the telehealth challenges with prime importance to ensure quality healthcare throughout the nation even after the pandemic.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Telemedicine , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , Pandemics , Quality of Health Care , Health FacilitiesABSTRACT
Background: Though quarantine is a pertinent control measure for the spread of COVID-19, it is equally important to consider its negative impacts, as it causes severe psychological, emotional, and financial problems not only for those who are quarantined but also for many others who are directly or indirectly connected to those who are quarantined. There appears to be a need to synthesise the available literature evidence on the psychological impact of quarantine experience, especially the multilevel risk factors that make individuals vulnerable to psychological impact and the protective factors to deal with the negative effects of quarantine. Objective: This systematic review attempted to identify the various psychological impacts associated with the experience of quarantine, the risk and protective factors and list out various psycho-social interventions that can minimise the risks and facilitate the protective factors associated with the experience of quarantine. Methods: A systematic search adhering to the PRISMA guidelines was performed in four databases PubMed, Scopus, PsycNet, Web of Science and 10518 articles related to COVID-19 and quarantine were obtained. After screening processes and quality assessment using standard checklist 74 articles that fulfilled the eligibility criteria were chosen for the final review. Findings: Individuals subjected to quarantine had anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, sleep problems, and somatic difficulties. Some of the key risk factors during quarantine are young age, female gender, low money, fear of infection, poor sleep quality, reduced physical activity, increased sedentary behaviours, and a lack of social support. Financial difficulties and stigma remained risk factors even after the quarantine period had ended. Key protective factors were coping skills, home based exercise, leisure, recreational activities, maintaining relationships using social media and availability of mental health services. The findings also highlight the necessity for tele mental health interventions to address the psychological effects of quarantine. Conclusion: Multilevel interventions are required to minimise the impact of risk factors and enhance protective factors.
ABSTRACT
As per the reports of WHO, the COVID-19, first reported in December 2019, put the whole world in an unprecedented crisis and lingering uncertainty with innumerable deaths, generalised economic depression, unemployment, quarantine, unavoidable lockdown, and travel-ban that was imposed globally as a necessity to tackle the pandemic. Among the populace, the migrants were found to be one of the most vulnerable groups in this lockdown, as their very livelihood came to a complete standstill. This review-paper aims to investigate in detail the multiple facets of adversities the migrants went through in India during the lockdown and the socio-psychological impact of circular migration. Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, studies on migrant workers during COVID-19 and on circular migration were searched. Database searches on Scopus, PubMed, and PsychNet and manual searches on Google Scholar were carried out. From the initially identified 15,697 articles, 15 articles that met the inclusion criteria were chosen for review. The findings highlight the different plight of the migrants, who had the pressing need to head back home to safety despite the acute financial crisis and the travel problems. The poor quality of the relief camps with meagre rations and lack of facilities especially put the women and children in distress and generated a lot of psychosocial issues. The present study urges the mental health-care professionals to groom themselves for facing the challenges of a surge in mental illnesses by taking necessary measures. It also emphasises the need to establish a strong ethical alliance between the local population, health systems, local government mechanisms, and human rights associations in order to take a relook at the national migration policies.