Introduction: Telehealth may address healthcare disparities for rural populations. This systematic review assesses the use, effectiveness, and implementation of telehealth-supported provider-to-provider collaboration to improve rural healthcare.
Methods: We searched Ovid MEDLINE®, CINAHL®, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL from 1 January 2010 to 12 October 2021 for trials and observational studies of rural provider-to-provider telehealth. Abstracts and full text were dual-reviewed. We assessed the risk of bias for individual studies and strength of evidence for studies with similar outcomes.
Results: Seven studies of rural uptake of provider-to-provider telehealth documented increases over time but variability across geographic regions. In 97 effectiveness studies, outcomes were similar with rural provider-to-provider telehealth versus without for inpatient consultations, neonatal care, outpatient depression and diabetes, and emergency care. Better or similar results were reported for changes in rural clinician behavior, knowledge, confidence, and self-efficacy. Evidence was insufficient for other clinical uses and outcomes. Sixty-seven (67) evaluation and qualitative studies identified barriers and facilitators to implementing rural provider-to-provider telehealth. Success was linked to well-functioning technology, sufficient resources, and adequate payment. Barriers included lack of understanding of rural context and resources. Methodologic weaknesses of studies included less rigorous study designs and small samples.
Discussion: Rural provider-to-provider telehealth produces similar or better results versus care without telehealth. Barriers to rural provider-to-provider telehealth implementation are common to practice change but include some specific to rural adaptation and adoption. Evidence gaps are partially due to studies that do not address differences in the groups compared or do not include sufficient sample sizes.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11389081 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1357633X221139892 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Provision of Digital Primary Health Care Services: Overview of Reviews.
J Med Internet Res
October 2024
Intelligent Decision Support Systems Laboratory, Research & Development Unit for Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (UNIDEMI), NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal.
Background: Digital health is a growing field, and many digital interventions have been implemented on a large scale since the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly in primary health care (PHC). The development of digital health interventions and their application in PHC are encouraged by the World Health Organization. The increased number of published scientific papers on this topic has resulted in an overwhelming amount of information, but there is no overview of reviews to summarize this evidence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPediatric Dermatology eConsultation in Academic Centers: A Collaborative Model for Optimized Outpatient Care.
Pediatr Dermatol
October 2024
Department of Dermatology, Division of Pediatric Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, California, USA.
Background/objective: The demand for pediatric dermatology services in the U.S. is high, especially at large academic healthcare centers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPediatric dermatology eConsultation: Insights to reduce barriers to utilization and increase access to care.
Pediatr Dermatol
November 2024
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, California, USA.
Provider-to-provider outpatient pediatric dermatology eConsultation services increase access to care, but barriers exist that may prevent eConsult implementation and survival. We deployed cross-sectional surveys to referring pediatric primary care physicians and consulting pediatric dermatologists participating in our eConsult program to identify barriers to utilization and sustainability. Our data suggest that eConsultation increases access to care and offers iterative educational opportunities for primary care providers, which may ultimately reduce office referrals for common outpatient skin issues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProvider-to-provider telemedicine for sepsis is used less frequently in communities with high social vulnerability.
J Rural Health
January 2025
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
Article Synopsis
- Sepsis is more severe in rural and socially vulnerable areas, and this study investigates whether telehealth consultations (tele-ED) can help address these disparities.
- The research involved analyzing data from 1191 patients across 23 rural emergency departments, revealing that providers in high social vulnerability index (SVI) counties were less likely to use tele-ED for sepsis treatment.
- Key findings indicate that housing and transportation issues significantly impacted tele-ED usage, suggesting that while tele-ED can improve access to care, it doesn't fully eliminate the treatment disparities faced by these vulnerable communities.
Claims data analysis of provider-to-provider tele-mentoring program impact on opioid prescribing in Missouri.
J Opioid Manag
May 2024
Institute for Data Science and Informatics; Missouri Telehealth Network; Department of Dermatology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6520-1581.
Objective: The objective of this study was to assess opioid prescribing patterns of primary care providers (PCPs) participating in a virtual tele-mentoring program for patients with chronic pain as compared to nonparticipants.
Design: We utilized Missouri Medicaid claims from 2013 to 2021 to compare opioid prescription dosages and daily supply of opioids prescribed by PCPs. Participants and nonparticipants were matched using propensity score matching.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!