A Systematic Review on Developing Telemedicine-transforming Health Care Accessibility in Emergency Room View PDF

^*Forum Hetalkumar Joshi
Medicine, MIMER Medical College, Yashwant Nagar, Talegaon Dabhade,, Maharashtra, India

^*Corresponding Author:

Forum Hetalkumar Joshi
Medicine, MIMER Medical College, Yashwant Nagar, Talegaon Dabhade,, Maharashtra, India

Published on: 2024-11-08

Abstract

It is imperative to understand telemedicine’s impact on reducing non-urgent cases in emergency rooms (ERs) through its use in healthcare. Studying the dynamic relationship between telemedicine utilization and ER visits, this study aims to uncover how telehealth can be used to break the traditional cycle of ER visits. In order to examine the awareness and utilization of telemedicine services in the broader population, the authors used a cross-sectional design based on convenience sampling. We collected data through PubMed, PMC, WOS, and Scopus. To extract and evaluate data items, each review was critically appraised by three authors. An analysis was conducted to determine the most highly recommended telemedicine technology, its feasibility, benefits, and challenges. An online survey was also self-administered by the authors consisting of three sections: demographic variables, ER visits, and awareness of non-urgent cases. There were close to 2000 participants in the study, 59% of whom were females and 41% of whom were males. The highest percentage of people were between the ages of 18 and 27 (46.8%). Among the participants, 70% held a bachelor’s degree. The number of urgent visits was 65%. Most (69%) knew about alternatives to urgent care, such as outpatient clinics and telemedicine. Video consultations and prescription refills are perceived as effective ways to address non-urgent conditions by 85% of respondents. In addition, 92% of participants agreed that teaching patients’ self-care and home remedies could help them manage symptoms and prevent unnecessary trips to the ER. The authors in this review conclude a high level of satisfaction among participants underscores the positive reception of telemedicine in redefining healthcare delivery. Telemedicine is positively associated with patient care, according to strong evidence. The implementation of telemedicine, however, may hinder or even compromise patient safety due to many challenges. The telemedicine systems in the ER have high potential, but there is still a need for better quality evidence to confirm their feasibility

Keywords

Telemedicine, Emergency department, Patients

Introduction

In a hospital, emergency departments (EDs) are one of the most vital and sensitive sections, and how they function can significantly affect other departments and patient satisfaction. Hospitals are evaluated in part based on the performance of their EDs [1, 2]. About 30 million critically ill patients seek urgent healthcare in the ED each year in the United States. A high number of admissions reduces the amount of time providers have to spend with each patient, which leads to a higher rate of medical errors [3-5]. Furthermore, it leads to ED overcrowding. The use of telemedicine for providing healthcare services has experienced rapid development in recent years as healthcare costs have increased and patient expectations have increased. In telemedicine, information and communication technologies are used to provide remote healthcare services, with great potential for use [6, 7]. According to recent studies on the application of telemedicine for the ED, these applications include providing specialized services to rural areas, reducing ED overcrowding, providing specialized services to paramedics, better crisis management, and reducing the time between accidents and patients’ arrival at the hospital [8-13].