Telemedicine in Emergency Medicine in the COVID-19 Pandemic—Experiences and Prospects—A Narrative Review

Abstract

Even before the year 2020, telemedicine has been proven to contribute to the efficacy of healthcare systems, for example in remote locations or in primary care. However, with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth solutions have emerged as a key component in patient healthcare delivery and they have been widely used in emergency medicine ever since. The pandemic has led to a growth in the number of telehealth applications and improved quality of already available telemedicine solutions. The implementation of telemedicine, especially in emergency departments (EDs), has helped to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect healthcare workers. This narrative review focuses on the most important innovative solutions in emergency care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. It outlines main categories of active telehealth use in daily practice of dealing with COVID-19 patients currently, and in the future. Furthermore, it discusses benefits as well as limitations of telemedicine.

Indirect Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on In-Hospital Outcomes among Internal Medicine Departments: A Double-Center Retrospective Study

“…Telehealth has a lot of advantages, especially during an infectious disease outbreak. However, it requires a change in medical training across all specialties [ 42 ]. Eventually, given that the leading cause of death in internal medicine departments is sepsis, we could create our own sepsis protocol for identifying patients at risk.…”

Synergizing AI, IoT, and Blockchain for Diagnosing Pandemic Diseases in Smart Cities: Challenges and Opportunities

“…The use of IoT-enabled medical devices for remote patient monitoring holds immense potential in smart cities, particularly during a pandemic. These devices, such as wearable sensors, smart patches, and connected medical devices, enable healthcare providers to remotely monitor patients' vital signs, collect real-time health data, and deliver timely interventions [103]. This remote monitoring capability allows for early detection of any concerning trends or abnormalities, enabling healthcare providers to intervene promptly and provide appropriate care.…”

“…Through the use of wearable devices and remote monitoring platforms, healthcare professionals were able to remotely monitor patients' vital signs, oxygen levels, and symptoms, providing timely interventions and minimizing the need for hospitalizations. This example highlights how smart cities can leverage telemedicine and remote healthcare technologies to overcome geographical barriers, ensure continuous access to healthcare services, and support effective disease management during a pandemic [101][102][103][104]. Virtual consultations and digital health platforms have emerged as valuable tools in reducing the burden on healthcare facilities and minimizing the risk of disease transmission within smart cities.…”

“…Through developing shared models of this data alongside standard interfaces and ontologies can also facilitate incorporating AI, IoT alongside blockchain components that will enable healthcare stakeholders' efficient collaboration alongside programming sharing. Additionally, establishments need to develop governance for this collected information to define their collective ownership rights as well as access and details regarding information sharing with other stakeholders involved in smart city healthcare systems [103].…”

Auditing the Audits: A Systematic Review on Different Procedures in Telemedicine

“…Remote cooperation: In emergencies or critical scenarios, one physician helps and cooperates with another online through real-time video and audio communication. These scenarios could include both the recent COVID-19 pandemic [7] and operating room surgery [8,9]. In this latter case, the surgical team operates on the patient, while the remote participants can collaboratively work thanks to high-quality video-audio streams.…”