COVID-19 remote consultation services and population in health inequity-concentrating territories: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

Objective: This scoping review aims to map initiatives of measuring the vulnerable populations' satisfaction with teleconsultation and remote consultation services offered by public and private healthcare providers in their respective territories during the COVID-19 pandemic.Introduction: New teleconsultation-based services were implemented during the pandemic with their monitoring and evaluation processes. It is necessary to know these assessments if services worsen the disparities between vulnerable and economically disadvantaged populations. Understanding whether the services meet the population's expectations concerning the care to contain the pandemic in their territory can support inclusive policies.Inclusion criteria: This review will include studies on evaluations of teleconsultation-based services offered to the socioeconomically disadvantaged population of a given territory focused on the surveillance, treatment, and prevention of COVID-19. The assessments should describe the process of determining the satisfaction of the population served.Methods: A comprehensive search will be performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science databases, and other documents in Scopus to identify gray literature. Documents published in English, Portuguese and Spanish will be included from December 2019. The strategy combines descriptors and keywords related to telehealth, Covid-19, patient satisfaction, and vulnerable populations. According to the inclusion criteria, two reviewers will screen titles and abstracts and select the articles for evaluation. The articles selected for full-text screening will be submitted to data extraction, using a tool developed by the third reviewer and approved by the other authors. The data will be presented in semantic networks and narrative summary, aligning with the reviews' objectives and scope.

COVID-19 Remote Consultation Services and Population in Health Inequity-Concentrating Territories: A Scoping Review

“…16 We published the research protocol as a preprint, distributed it to reviewers as an instructive guide, and then conducted article selection, analysis, and discussion of results. 17 SILVA ET AL.…”