Effectiveness and safety of asynchronous telemedicine consultations in general practice: systematic review

Background

Asynchronous telemedicine allows remote, non-real-time communication between clinicians and patients, allowing each to access a platform when and where they want. For example a patient may send a photograph or video of their skin conditions (medical data), which is reviewed by a doctor when they have time.  

While there is a focus on increasing asynchronous telemedicine use (i.e. allowing medical data to be transmitted, stored, and interpreted later), there is limited evidence of the quality of patient care it allows in general practice and this is a potential barrier. 

Aim 

To conduct a systematic review of published research to investigate uses and effectiveness of asynchronous telemedicine in general medical practice according to the domains of healthcare quality, and to describe how the COVID-19 pandemic changed its use.

Method 

A systematic search carried out using terms related to general practice, asynchronous telemedicine, uses and effectiveness, and supported by citation searching. Followed by screening according to pre-defined criteria, data extraction and critical appraisal. Narrative synthesis guided by the six domains of healthcare quality and exploring differences in use before and following the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Published Report