Impact of coordination mechanisms based on information and communication technologies on cross-level clinical coordination: A scoping review.

Background: Coordination mechanisms based on information and communication technologies (ICTs) are gaining attention, especially since the pandemic, due to their potential to improve communication between health professionals. However, their impact on cross-level clinical coordination remains unclear. The aim is to synthesize the evidence on the impact of ICT-based coordination mechanisms on clinical coordination between primary care and secondary care (SC) doctors and to identify knowledge gaps. Methods: A scoping review was conducted by searching for original articles in six electronic databases and a manual search, with no restrictions regarding time, area, or methodology. Titles and abstracts were screened. Full texts of the selected articles were reviewed and analysed to assess the impact of each mechanism, according to the cross-level clinical coordination conceptual framework. Results: Of the 6555 articles identified, 30 met the inclusion criteria. All had been conducted in high-income countries, most ( Conclusions: Evidence of the impact of ICT-based mechanisms on clinical coordination between levels is limited. Rigorous evaluations are needed to inform policies and strategies for improving coordination between healthcare levels, thus contributing to high-quality, efficient healthcare.