Telemedicine application in diagnosing and managing heart diseases in neonates and children: A systematized review

Abstract

Aim: Telemedicine can be used to diagnose and manage heart diseases in neonates and children. Despite studies in this domain, there is heterogeneity, diversity and limited evidence of the impact of telemedicine in this regard. The purpose of this research is to conduct a systematized review of published studies to identify the impact and knowledge gap in this domain. Information sources or data: A systematized review was conducted using Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane library and Embase databases. The analysis of extracted data was done by descriptive statistics. Selection method for study: After screening the titles and abstracts, finally 32 studies were selected and analyzed. For screening articles inclusion criteria included publication between the beginning of 2007 and the end of 2017, English full text availability, considered age range, outcome related to telemedicine services for fetus, infant and children. Combine content and results: After screening the retrieved articles, finally, 32 articles were selected for this review. According to results, feasibility, cost, communication, education and better support, care management, accuracy and mortality have been reported. Conclusion: Telemedicine can be used in the remote transmission of echocardiogram, chest, ultrasound and MRI images, home care, heart auscultation by tele-stethoscope and education. According to results, telemedicine application in managing heart diseases is feasible and leads to appropriate outcomes for patients.