SynthesisBMC medical informatics and decision making2022
Challenges of Telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMC medical informatics and decision making, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 128 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
128 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 265 citations in OpenAlex.
- Communication Strategies to Promote Patient Engagement in Telemedicine: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- Mapping global inequities in telemedicine implementation: An umbrella review of barriers and facilitators.PloS one · 2026Pooled it
- A systematic review of methods used for COVID-19 telehealth systems evaluation: lessons from past experiences for future use.BMC health services research · 2025Pooled it
- Barriers and facilitators to accessing and utilising sexual and reproductive health services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC health services research · 2024Pooled it
- Covid-19 hotlines, helplines and call centers: a systematic review of characteristics, challenges and lessons learned.BMC public health · 2024Pooled it
- Facilitators of and Barriers to Accessing Hospital Medical Specialty Telemedicine Consultations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Pooled it
- Effects of Remotely Delivered and Web-Based Interventions on Depression Severity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: 3-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mental health · 2026Trial
- Enhancing Cancer Truth-Telling Perspectives Using Virtual Reality in Communication Skills Training: An Experimental Study Among Medical Students.Perspectives on medical education · 2025Trial
- Assessing Telemedicine Implementation Potential in High-Referral Specialties: A Cross-Sectional Study in Iran.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Satisfaction Resilience in Virtual Home Health Care for Chronic Disease Management: Lifestyle-Integration Motivation and Functional Equivalence Beliefs in a Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Global perspectives on telemedicine-enabled medications for opioid use disorder: Practices, priorities, and barriers.Journal of telemedicine and telecare · 2026Article
- Feasibility and acceptability of pharmacist-led remote patient monitoring for carvedilol dose titration in clinically significant portal hypertension.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2026Article
- Adoption of Telemedicine in Low-Resource Settings Through the Lens of Frugal Innovation: Protocol for a Systematic Review.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Telemedicine in the Management of Arterial Hypertension in Rural Populations: A Narrative Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Effectiveness of Telemedicine vs Face-to-Face Consultation in Fighting COVID-19: Retrospective Cohort Study of Adult Patients With COVID-19 in a Primary Care Setting.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Performance comparison of a wired zero-heat-flux sensor and wireless thermistor patch with esophageal probe for core temperature monitoring.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Telemedicine and 5G Technologies: A Systematic Global Review of Applications over the Past Decade.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Article
- Comparing audiovisual visit and in-person visit note quality.JAMIA open · 2026Article
- Telemedicine as a gateway to early-phase oncology trials: lessons from 14 000 patients and future directions for global access and equity.The oncologist · 2026Article
68 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the decrease of in-person visits to reduce the risk of virus transmission. Telemedicine is an efficient communication tool employed between healthcare providers and patients that prevents the risk of exposure to infected persons. However, telemedicine use is not infallible; its users reported multiple issues that complicated the expansion of this technology. So, this systematic review aimed to explore the barriers and challenges of telemedicine use during the pandemic and to propose solutions for improving future use.
methodsA systematic review was conducted following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) statement. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, Embase, and Science Direct were used to look for articles addressing barriers and challenges, in addition to articles proposing solutions. Studies were screened by title and abstract, followed by a full-text review. Risk of bias assessment was done using Critical Appraisal Skills Program for qualitative studies, Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cross-sectional studies, and A MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews for systematic reviews. After the extraction of data, a narrative synthesis and analysis of the outcomes were performed.
resultsAmong 1194 papers identified, only 27 studies were included. Barriers and challenges were assembled under 7 categories: technical aspects, privacy, data confidentiality and reimbursement, physical examination and diagnostics, special populations, training of healthcare providers and patients, doctor-patient relationship, and acceptability. Poor internet connection and lack of universal access to technology were among the technical barriers. Concerns about patient privacy and reimbursement hindered the use of telemedicine too. Physical examination and certain procedures were impossible to perform via telemedicine. Training both healthcare providers and patients was deficient. The doctor-patient relationship was troubled by telemedicine, and both healthcare providers and patients were reluctant to use telemedicine.
conclusionWidespread use of telemedicine is still hampered by various barriers and challenges. Healthcare providers should work with various stakeholders to implement the proposed solutions. More research and policy changes are essential to optimize telemedicine utilization.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.