Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40519256›Full record

ReviewJournal of multimorbidity and comorbidity

Harnessing telehealth for multimorbidity management in rural and remote areas: A scoping review of interventions, outcomes, and implementation dynamics.

Sage M C Ishimwe, Delia Hendrie, Timothy A Carey, Jacquita S Affandi, Ninh Thi Ha, Sue Critchley, Amna Mushtaq, Sayyida Anees, Harley Sitou, Chak Seng Song and 4 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of multimorbidity and comorbidity. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Sage M C IshimweCurtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9928-5891
Delia HendrieCurtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.
Timothy A CareyCentre for Health Equity in Regional and Remote Communities, CQUniversity Australia, Rockhampton, QLD, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2882-1508
Jacquita S AffandiCurtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.
Ninh Thi HaCurtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2789-5604
Sue CritchleyCurtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.
Amna MushtaqCurtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0169-8365
Sayyida AneesRoyal Australian College of General Practitioners, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Harley SitouFaculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, SAR, China.
Chak Seng SongFaculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, SAR, China.
Brian LeongFaculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, SAR, China.
Anneli RobbshawCurtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9594-8587
Christopher M ReidCurtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.
Dan XuCurtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Multimorbidity, the coexistence of two or more chronic diseases, affects 37% of adults globally, especially in rural areas with limited healthcare access. This burden leads to poorer health outcomes. Telehealth offers a solution by improving access to care. This scoping review explored the use of telehealth for managing multimorbidity in rural and remote areas. Methods: A protocol was registered on Open Science Framework. Four databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles published in English from 2010 to 2024, focusing on telehealth interventions for multimorbidity in rural and remote areas. Results: Out of 9,090 screened records, 15 articles were included in the review. Eight articles reported health outcomes (including five randomised controlled trials), while seven identified facilitators and barriers. Telehealth interventions were categorised as synchronous (5/15) and asynchronous (10/15), and they predominantly targeted physical health conditions (73%). Mixed effects on physiological outcomes were noted, with some studies reporting reductions in blood pressure and glycated haemoglobin. Mental health outcomes generally showed significant reductions in depression and anxiety. Facilitators included telehealth infrastructure, stakeholder engagement, and digital literacy, while barriers reflected the opposite. Conclusion: This review highlights that telehealth interventions can be cost-effective and improve access and health outcomes in rural and remote areas. However, the variability in findings emphasises the need for standardised implementation and further research to ascertain reliability. Future studies should explore strategies to address barriers and optimise telehealth interventions for managing multimorbidity in these settings.

Indexed as

chronic diseasechronic disease managementhealthcareimplementationmultimorbidityrural healthtelemedicine

Identifiers

PMID40519256
PMCPMC12163256

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.