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Cited by 698Telemedicine and Telehealth ImplementationDental Research and COVID-19Healthcare during COVID-19 Pandemic

Use of Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scoping Review

Open access
Doraiswamy, Sathyanarayanan, Abraham, Amit, Mamtani, Ravinder, Cheema, Sohaila·2020·Journal of Medical Internet Research
DOI 10.2196/24087PMC PMC7710390

Published version of a preprint

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Abstract

Background: With over 37.8 million cases and over 1 million deaths worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a societal and economic upheaval of unparalleled magnitude. A positive transformation has been brought about by innovative solutions in the health care sector that aim to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on human health. For instance, the use of telehealth has been on the rise amidst this public health emergency. Objective: Given the unprecedented scale of the pandemic with no definitive endpoint, we aimed to scope the existing telehealth-related literature during a defined period of the ongoing pandemic (ie, January to June 2020). Methods: Our scoping review was guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewer Manual. We systematically searched PubMed and Embase databases with specific eligibility criteria. Data extracted from the shortlisted articles included first author and affiliation, journal title, publication type, terminologies used to describe telehealth and their accompanying definitions, health discipline or medical specialties and subspecialties wherein telehealth had been applied, the purpose of telehealth use, and the authors’ overall sentiment on telehealth use. We collated the available information and used descriptive statistics to analyze the synthesized data. Results: In all, 543 articles published across 331 different journals were included in this scoping review. The Journal of Medical Internet Research and its sister journals featured the highest number of articles (25/543, 4.6%). Nearly all (533/543, 98.2%) articles were in English. The majority of the articles were opinions, commentaries, and perspectives (333/543, 61.3%). Most authors of the articles reviewed were from high-income countries (470/543, 86.6%), especially from the United States of America (237/543, 43.6%). In all, 39 different definitions were used to describe terms equivalent to telehealth. A small percentage (42/543, 7.7%) of the articles focused on the provision of COVID-19–related care. Moreover, 49.7% (270/543) of the articles primarily focused on the provision of multiple components of clinical care, and 23% (125/543) of the articles focused on various specialties and subspecialties of internal medicine. For a vast majority (461/543, 84.9%) of the articles, the authors expressed a celebratory sentiment about the use of telehealth. Conclusions: This review identified considerable emerging literature on telehealth during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit mostly from high-income countries. There is compelling evidence to suggest that telehealth may have a significant effect on advancing health care in the future. However, the feasibility and application of telehealth in resource-limited settings and low- and middle-income countries must be established to avail its potential and transform health care for the world’s population. Given the rapidity with which telehealth is advancing, a global consensus on definitions, boundaries, protocols, monitoring, evaluation, and data privacy is urgently needed.

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This scoping review maps 543 peer-reviewed articles on telehealth published during January–June 2020 of the COVID-19 pandemic, finding a rapid but largely opinion-based literature dominated by high-income countries. Most authors expressed celebratory views, while the review calls for global consensus on definitions, protocols, and evidence in low- and middle-income settings.

Key findings

  • The review included 543 articles published across 331 journals; 61.3% (333/543) were opinions, commentaries, or perspectives, while empirical research accounted for 11.6% (63/543).
  • Most first authors were from high-income countries (470/543, 86.6%), especially the United States (237/543, 43.6%); no publication originated from Africa.
  • The articles used 39 different telehealth-related definitions; only 7.7% (42/543) focused on COVID-19–related care, while 49.7% (270/543) addressed multiple components of clinical care.
  • Authors’ sentiment was celebratory in 84.9% (461/543) of articles, contingent in 13.6% (74/543), and concerned in 1.5% (8/543).

Methods

  • Scoping review guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewer Manual and reported with PRISMA-ScR; protocol registered on Open Science Framework.
  • Searched PubMed and Embase from January 1 to June 10, 2020, using COVID-19 and telehealth/telemedicine terms; included peer-reviewed publications of any type, excluded preprints, and had no geographic, time, or language restrictions.
  • Data on journal, language, publication type, author affiliation, definitions, purpose, specialty, and sentiment were extracted and synthesized with descriptive statistics in Microsoft Excel and SPSS.

Limitations

  • The authors state they searched only 2 databases and did not actively search grey literature or preprints, so the search may not have been exhaustive.
  • The authors state that best practices would have required 2 independent reviewers for screening and data extraction; they used an optimized approach with one reviewer for initial title/abstract screening, two reviewers for full-text data extraction, and 10% cross-checking.
  • The authors note the literature was expanding rapidly—PubMed publications had almost doubled from search time to manuscript writing—so the review is an interim scoping review; the text also makes evident that most included articles were opinions/commentaries rather than empirical studies, limiting conclusions about telehealth effectiveness.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.2196/24087

Cites

45 of 45 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Claims the paper makes

0 of 46 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

  • Findingown data

    Most authors of the articles reviewed were from high-income countries (470/543, 86.6%).

    “Most authors of the articles reviewed were from high-income countries (470/543, 86.6%)”
    • Also stated in: § Characteristics of Included Articles · plain
      “The vast majority of articles were published from high-income countries (470/543, 86.6%; World Bank classification)”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingown data

    For a vast majority (461/543, 84.9%) of the articles, the authors expressed a celebratory sentiment about the use of telehealth.

    “For a vast majority (461/543, 84.9%) of the articles, the authors expressed a celebratory sentiment about the use of telehealth.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingown data

    23% (125/543) of the articles focused on various specialties and subspecialties of internal medicine.

    “and 23% (125/543) of the articles focused on various specialties and subspecialties of internal medicine.”
    • Also stated in: § Telehealth Use in Various Medical Specialties and Subspecialties · plain
      “internal medicine (125/543, 23%)”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingown data

    The scoping review included 543 articles.

    “In all, 543 articles published across 331 different journals were included in this scoping review.”
    • Also stated in: § Selection of Articles · plain
      “Thus, a total of 543 articles were included in our review.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingown data

    In all, 39 different terminologies related to telehealth were found in the included articles.

    “We found 39 different terminologies related to telehealth in the articles included in our review.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 45
  • May combine two claims. 18

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    Nearly all (533/543, 98.2%) articles were in English.

    “Nearly all (533/543, 98.2%) articles were in English.”
    • Also stated in: § Characteristics of Included Articles · plain
      “Nearly all (533/543, 98.2%) of the included articles were in English.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    Most first authors were from the United States of America (237/543, 43.6%).

    “especially from the United States of America (237/543, 43.6%)”
    • Also stated in: § Characteristics of Included Articles · plain
      “Most first authors were from the United States of America (237/543, 43.6%)”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    The included articles were published across 331 different journals.

    “The 543 articles included in our review were published across 331 journals.”
    • Also stated in: § Results · plain
      “In all, 543 articles published across 331 different journals were included in this scoping review.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingnone given

    Most of the articles included in the review had a direct reference to COVID-19 and telehealth in their titles.

    “It is interesting to note that most of the articles included in our review had a direct reference to COVID-19 and telehealth in their titles, emphasizing the value and use of telehealth during the pandemic.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    Searching the reference lists of included articles found another 8 relevant articles.

    “We also searched the reference lists of the included articles and found another 8 relevant articles for inclusion.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    The majority (461/543, 84.9%) of articles were celebratory in nature, followed by those that were contingent (74/543, 13.6%), and concerned (8/543, 1.5%).

    “The majority (461/543, 84.9%) of articles were celebratory in nature, followed by those that were contingent (74/543, 13.6%), and concerned (8/543, 1.5%).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingreasoning

    Telehealth remains a topic of interest for a wide variety of journals (generic and specialized).

    “We observed that telehealth remains a topic of interest for a wide variety of journals (generic and specialized).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    Article-type categorization was unclear for 87/543 (16%) articles.

    “Article-type categorization was unclear for 16% (87/543) of the articles.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Of the articles with definitions, 52 used varying definitions for telemedicine, only 2 of which matched the WHO definition.

    “whereas 52 articles used varying definitions for telemedicine, only 2 of which matched the definition put forth by the WHO.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    After removal of duplicates, 1437 articles were identified in the initial search.

    “After removal of duplicates, we identified 1437 articles in our initial search.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    The geographical focus of the articles largely matched the countries of affiliations of the first authors.

    “The geographical focus of the articles largely matched the countries of affiliations of the first authors.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    Of the articles with definitions, 13 attempted to define telehealth.

    “Of these, 13 articles attempted to define telehealth”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    27/543 (5%) articles were categorized as 'others'.

    “In all, 5% (27/543) of the articles were categorized as “others””
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    890 articles were excluded at the title and abstract screening stage and 12 at the full-text screening stage.

    “articles were excluded at various screening stages: 890 at the title and abstract screening stage and 12 at the full-text screening stage.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    First authors were affiliated in 42 different countries.

    “The first authors of the articles included in our review were affiliated (place of work) in 42 different countries.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

    Findingnone given

    The vast majority of published articles in the literature are in the English language.

    “The vast majority of published articles in the literature are in the English language.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Telehealth has been used broadly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as an aid to the active management of patients with COVID-19; for surveillance, triage, and diagnosis; treatment including e-prescriptions; follow-up care; and rehabilitation.

    “Our study demonstrates that telehealth has been used broadly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as an aid to the active management of patients with COVID-19; for surveillance, triage, and diagnosis; treatment including e-prescriptions; follow-up care; and rehabilitation.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingnone given

    Experiential reports pertaining to telehealth use are being published extensively, albeit mostly from high-income countries such as the United States, in particular.

    “Experiential reports pertaining to telehealth use are being published extensively, albeit mostly from high-income countries such as the United States, in particular.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingcitation

    Authors of the few articles that expressed contingent and concerned sentiments cited the need to review additional evidence on the use of telehealth for health care delivery and to further explore ethics and equity in the context of telehealth use.

    “Authors of the few articles that expressed contingent and concerned sentiments cited the need to review additional evidence on the use of telehealth for health care delivery and to further explore ethics and equity in the context of telehealth use [47-51].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 5 sources checked
    • cites [47] source

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    • cites [48] source

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    • cites [49] source

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    • cites [50] source

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    • cites [51] source

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  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

    Findingnone given

    An increasing number of medical specialties are beginning to use telehealth for patient care.

    “This is in tandem with an increasing number of medical specialties beginning to use telehealth for patient care.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingnone given

    A wide variety of journals, including specialty journals, are increasingly publishing more material on telehealth.

    “A wide variety of journals, including specialty journals, are increasingly publishing more material on telehealth.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Global interest within the scientific community for using telehealth was on the rise even before the COVID-19 pandemic, as evidenced by increasing number of studies published on this topic in recent years.

    “Global interest within the scientific community for using telehealth was on the rise even before the COVID-19 pandemic, as evidenced by the increasing number of studies published on this topic in recent years [9].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [9] source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    The review identified considerable emerging literature on telehealth during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit mostly from high-income countries.

    “This review identified considerable emerging literature on telehealth during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit mostly from high-income countries.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Some medical specialties, such as radiology, dermatology, pathology, and psychiatry, used telehealth more frequently than others.

    “Some medical specialties, such as radiology, dermatology, pathology, and psychiatry, used telehealth more frequently than others [7].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [7] 2010, Telemedicine: opportunities and developments in member states - Report on the second global survey on eHealth (Global Observatory for eHealth Series, 2)

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Telehealth or telemedicine practices expanded tremendously during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to flourish.

    “In the health care sector, telehealth or telemedicine practices expanded tremendously during the pandemic and continue to flourish [3].”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [3] source

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  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductcitation

    The sentiment categorization was based on the framework developed by Nettleton et al and subsequently used by Dol et al.

    “This categorization was based on the framework developed by Nettleton et al [20] and subsequently used by Dol et al [21] in their scoping reviews of the use of internet technology and social media in medical, sociological, and popular literature.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [20] source

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    • cites [21] source

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  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductcitation

    The protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework on July 19, 2020.

    “The protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework (registration DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/AXN32) [18] on July 19, 2020.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [18] Open Science Framework(OSF)OSF home20202020-06-02https://osf.io/axn32

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data

    SD and AA randomly cross-checked approximately 10% of each other's extractions to ensure correctness and completeness, and no discrepancies were noted.

    “Finally, SD and AA randomly cross-checked approximately 10% of each other’s extractions to ensure correctness and completeness of the extracted data. No discrepancies were noted.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductcitation

    The scoping review was guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewer Manual.

    “Our scoping review was guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewer Manual.”
    • Also stated in: § Study Design · plain
      “We performed a scoping review consistent with the guidance provided by the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewer Manual [15,16].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [15] Peters, M, 2017, JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis

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    • cites [16] source

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  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given

    A senior information specialist validated the search strategy.

    “A senior information specialist validated the search strategy.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Telehealth has the potential to improve health care access globally.

    “This is not surprising because telehealth not only shows promise but also has the potential to improve health care access globally [25].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [25] source

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  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductnone given

    SD screened the title and abstracts of the identified articles, and AA checked the excluded studies and confirmed that the exclusion criteria were correctly applied.

    “SD screened the title and abstracts of the identified articles. AA checked the excluded studies and was able to confirm that the exclusion criteria were correctly applied.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Studies have found that opinion, commentary, and viewpoint article types are often not backed by adequate data and/or are poorly reviewed in a rush to disseminate relevant scientific knowledge.

    “studies have found that these article types are often not backed by adequate data and/or are poorly reviewed in a rush to disseminate relevant scientific knowledge [27].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [27] source

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    Premisecitation

    The application of telehealth to promote health, evaluate and manage diseases, and rehabilitate individuals has been documented in other public health emergencies.

    “The application of telehealth to promote health, evaluate and manage diseases, and rehabilitate individuals has been documented in other public health emergencies [14].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [14] source

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    Study design and conductnone given

    The eligibility criteria were established a priori.

    “The eligibility criteria were established a priori.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

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    Premisecitation

    The risk of widening inequity across various population subgroups with the advent of telehealth is a prevailing concern.

    “The risk of widening inequity across various population subgroups with the advent of telehealth is also a prevailing concern [12].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [12] source

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  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductcitation

    The scoping review follows the PRISMA-ScR checklist.

    “The scoping review follows the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist (see Multimedia Appendix 1) [17].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [17] source

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  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given

    Following best practices in scoping reviews would have required 2 independent reviewers involved in the screening and data extraction or charting stages.

    “Furthermore, following best practices in scoping reviews would have required us to have 2 independent reviewers involved in the screening and data extraction or charting stages.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    The review searched only 2 databases and did not actively search the grey literature and preprints; consequently, the search may not have been exhaustive.

    “We searched only 2 databases and did not actively search the grey literature and preprints. Consequently, our search may not have been exhaustive.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Interpretationreasoning

    The use of very broad terminologies (such as ehealth) or very narrow terminologies (such as telestroke) might hamper the standardization and introduction of legal and regulatory provisions to facilitate the use of telehealth.

    “We believe that the use of very broad terminologies (such as ehealth) or very narrow terminologies (such as telestroke) might hamper the standardization and introduction of legal and regulatory provisions to facilitate the use of telehealth.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductreasoning

    Any variation between the 2 reviewers would have been mitigated by the standardized, well-defined, self-explanatory data extraction form used.

    “Any variation between the 2 reviewers would have been mitigated by the standardized, well-defined, self-explanatory data extraction form used.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given

    Both reviewers cross-verified at least 10% of each other's work, providing an added level of cushion to the process.

    “The fact that both the reviewers cross-verified at least 10% of each other’s work provides an added level of cushion to the process.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Wearable technology and AI can augment telehealth and compensate for some of its limitations, such as physical examination and continuous monitoring.

    “Given more recent developments in the field, including the growing scope of wearable technology and AI, that can augment telehealth and compensate for some of its limitations (eg, physical examination and continuous monitoring) [34]”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [34] source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    An earlier scoping review had identified the predominant use of telehealth for noncommunicable diseases, but it did not focus on communicable diseases.

    “An earlier scoping review had identified the predominant use of telehealth for noncommunicable diseases, but it did not focus on communicable diseases [41].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [41] source

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  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Interpretationcitation

    The wide range and variation in definitions of telehealth is reflective of the lack of consensus in the scientific world on what constitutes telehealth.

    “This is reflective of the lack of consensus in the scientific world on what constitutes telehealth [8,33].”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [8] source

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    • cites [33] source

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  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    Because of the rapidity of publication, this review is expected to serve as an interim scoping review only and can be further updated as needed.

    “As a result, this review is expected to serve the purpose of being an interim scoping review only and can be further updated as the need arises.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

    Interpretationnone given

    The positive sentiment expressed by most authors regarding the use of telehealth is reflective of the developing enthusiasm and receptiveness for this technology.

    “The positive sentiment expressed by most authors regarding the use of telehealth is reflective of the developing enthusiasm and receptiveness for this technology.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Specialties such as dermatology, pathology, and psychiatry have long employed telehealth to provide services to patients.

    “Specialties such as dermatology, pathology, and psychiatry have long employed telehealth to provide services to patients [7]”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [7] 2010, Telemedicine: opportunities and developments in member states - Report on the second global survey on eHealth (Global Observatory for eHealth Series, 2)

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    The gap in communication due to English-language dominance can be a deterrent to publishing, with the views of experts and researchers from non-English-speaking countries being discounted or overlooked.

    “This gap in communication can consequently be a deterrent to publishing, with the views of experts and researchers from non–English-speaking countries being discounted or overlooked [26].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [26] source

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  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    The evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates swift publishing.

    “The evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates swift publishing; however, the measures to protect scientific integrity cannot be overemphasized [28].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [28] source

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    Premisecitation

    This finding is in line with that of many past reviews on the subject.

    “This finding is in line with that of many past reviews on the subject [9,44-46].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 4 sources checked
    • cites [9] source

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    • cites [44] source

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    • cites [45] source

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    • cites [46] source

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  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    The initial title and abstract screening was performed by 1 reviewer; the full-text screening for data extraction was completed by 2 reviewers.

    “Although the initial title and abstract screening was performed by 1 reviewer, given the large number of studies for data charting, the full-text screening for data extraction was completed by 2 reviewers.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    Most data (except for the sentiment analysis) extracted from the articles contained factual information and were objectively verifiable, so the likelihood of variation remained low.

    “As most of the data (except for the sentiment analysis) extracted from the articles contained factual information (such as the name of the journal, type of publication, country of affiliation of first author) drawn directly from the articles and were objectively verifiable, the likelihood of variation remained low.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationnone given

    Emerging technologies, including wearable devices and AI, are futuristic adjuncts to telehealth, which may help mitigate some of its limitations.

    “Emerging technologies, including wearable devices and AI, are futuristic adjuncts to telehealth, which may help mitigate some of its limitations.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
54 of 54

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    India, China, Brazil, and Iran are large, have been profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and had some telehealth-related infrastructure in place even before the onset of the pandemic.

    “These countries are large, have been profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and had some telehealth-related infrastructure in place even before the onset of the pandemic.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Journals usually prefer to publish empirical research and reviews.

    “Although journals usually prefer to publish empirical research and reviews”
2 of 2

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Studies on the satisfactory level of use of telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic suggested it was above average by patients and health professional users, and often they showed their willingness to continue with the use of telecare even after the pandemic.

    “In general, studies on the satisfactory level of use of telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic suggested it was above average by patients and health professional users and often they showed their willingness to continue with the use of telecare even after the pandemic [56,57,58,59,60,61,62].”

    From Telehealth and COVID-19 Pandemic: An Overview of the Telehealth Use, Advantages, Challenges, and Opportunities during COVID-19 Pandemic (2022) · cites this paper as [56]

  • Globally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, females used telecare facilities two times more than males.

    “Globally, studies have shown that during the COVID-19 pandemic, females used telecare facilities two times more than males and suggested that young adult patients were represented as the most frequent telecare service consumers, from 20 to 44 years of age [53,54,55,56,57].”

    From Telehealth and COVID-19 Pandemic: An Overview of the Telehealth Use, Advantages, Challenges, and Opportunities during COVID-19 Pandemic (2022) · cites this paper as [56]

  • In Australia, a national study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic considerably encouraged and promoted the use of telehealth, and without that progress, telehealth use would have remained infrequent.

    “In Australia, a national study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic considerably encouraged and promoted the use of telehealth and thanks to this window of opportunity, a lot of progress was made in the domain that, without that progress, telehealth use would have remained infrequent [50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58].”

    From Telehealth and COVID-19 Pandemic: An Overview of the Telehealth Use, Advantages, Challenges, and Opportunities during COVID-19 Pandemic (2022) · cites this paper as [56]

  • Young adult patients from 20 to 44 years of age were represented as the most frequent telecare service consumers.

    “Globally, studies have shown that during the COVID-19 pandemic, females used telecare facilities two times more than males and suggested that young adult patients were represented as the most frequent telecare service consumers, from 20 to 44 years of age [53,54,55,56,57].”

    From Telehealth and COVID-19 Pandemic: An Overview of the Telehealth Use, Advantages, Challenges, and Opportunities during COVID-19 Pandemic (2022) · cites this paper as [56]

  • There is a need to address the major gaps that exist between the growing technological capabilities for delivering JITAIs and research on the development and evaluation of these interventions.

    “There is a need to address the major gaps that exist between the growing technological capabilities for delivering JITAIs and research on the development and evaluation of these interventions.”

    From Digital health technologies and major depressive disorder (2023) · cites this paper as [133]

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Dermatology article count differs between text and table

    Minor

    The Results text reports 23 articles on dermatology, while Table 4 reports 22.

1 of 1

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. 2010, Telemedicine: opportunities and developments in member states - Report on the second global survey on eHealth (Global Observatory for eHealth Series, 2)
  2. Gonzales-Zamora, JA, 2020, Infez Med, 28, 135

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Related

Authors
Doraiswamy, S., Abraham, A., Mamtani, R., & Cheema, S.
Affiliations
Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (QA)
Corresponding author
Doraiswamy, Sathyanarayanan
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Medical Internet Research
Publisher
JMIR Publications Inc.
Published
2020-12-01
Volume
22
Issue
12
Pages
e24087
ISSN
1438-8871 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2196/24087
PMC
PMC7710390
OpenAlex
W3095354079
Cited by
698
References
45
Citations by year
2026: 48 · 2025: 82 · 2024: 138 · 2023: 185 · 2022: 164 · 2021: 78 · 2020: 2
FWCI
17.93
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Journal of Medical Internet Research (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Weill Cornell Medical College
  • Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Telemedicine and Telehealth Implementation
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › General Dentistry › Dental Research and COVID-19
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Healthcare during COVID-19 Pandemic
Keywords
COVID-19 pandemic
MeSH terms
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Humans, Telemedicine, Privacy, Pandemics

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Claims read by deepseek-v4.1-flash under definition version 3 (extract-v3) on 2026-10-07.

Classified by jev-1.13-20260917 (gold-guideline-v0.2) on 2026-10-07.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

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