The Role of Telemedicine in Emergency Department Triage and Patient Care: A Systematic Review
Abstract
Overcrowding in emergency departments (EDs) is a global challenge, leading to prolonged waiting times and adverse patient outcomes. Telemedicine has emerged as a promising solution, enabling remote consultation, triage, and real-time specialist input. Despite its growing application, limited systematic research exists on its specific role in ED triage and care. This systematic review evaluated the effectiveness of telemedicine interventions in ED settings, focusing on diagnostic accuracy, patient satisfaction, throughput times, and re-admission rates. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases was conducted up to November 10, 2024. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in English that assessed telemedicine in ED settings. Two independent reviewers screened studies, extracted data, and assessed methodological quality using the modified Downs and Black scale. Six RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Results showed that telemedicine improved diagnostic accuracy, reduced re-consultation rates, and enhanced treatment adherence. High diagnostic concordance with in-person assessments was observed, particularly in non-critical cases. Several studies reported shorter throughput times and higher patient satisfaction with telemedicine compared to traditional care. However,…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
Read the paper
Related studies
- The Matrisome: In Silico Definition and In Vivo Characterization by Proteomics of Normal and Tumor Extracellular Matrices
- The Escherichia coli MG1655 in silico metabolic genotype: Its definition, characteristics, and capabilities
- In silico pharmacology for drug discovery: methods for virtual ligand screening and profiling
- In silico prediction of splice-altering single nucleotide variants in the human genome
- In silico clinical trials: how computer simulation will transform the biomedical industry
- In silico optimization of a guava antimicrobial peptide enables combinatorial exploration for peptide design
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.