Database On Evidence- Based Telemedicine In A Hospital Setting

ABSTRACT

Introduction. The use of telemedicine services has increased worldwide during recent years because of national strategies for digitalization of health care and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, healthcare professionals often express uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of telemedicine interventions. The TELEMED database (https//telemedicine.cimt.dk/) was introduced by the Centre for Innovative Medical Technology (CIMT) at Odense University Hospital to ensure that hospital managers, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders have access to scientific studies of telemedicine interventions. Methods. The database constitutes a structured literature search in PubMed for randomized and non-randomized controlled trials on the use of telemedicine for treating somatic diseases in the hospital setting. The search was conducted by staff members in the health technology assessment unit at CIMT. Identified studies were sorted by first screening titles and s and then by reading full-text versions. The data extracted from the studies included setting, intervention, patient group, type of telemedicine, clinical effect, patient perception, and implementation challenges. The value of each study was also assessed with respect to effectiveness. Results. A total of 510 articles were selected for data extraction and assessment. The database provides results from 22 different specialties and can be searched using the criteria of medical specialty, country, technology, clinical effect, patient experience, and economic effect. The database serves as an information platform for clinical departments who wish to implement telemedicine services. It has great potential for supporting digital transformation during COVID- 19 by providing accessible evidence-based information on patient groups and relevant technologies and their effects. More than 95 percent of the studies in the database that compared telemedicine with a control group showed either statistically significant improvements in clinical outcomes with telemedicine or no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Conclusions. The TELEMED database provides an easily accessible overview of existing evidence-based telemedicine services. The database is freely available and is expected to be continuously improved and broadened over time.