Advancing telemedicine in cardiology: A comprehensive review of evolving practices and outcomes in a postpandemic context

Abstract

Telemedicine, telehealth, e-Health, and other related terms refer to the exchange of medical information or medical care from one site to another through electronic communication between a patient and a health care provider. As telemedicine infrastructure has changed since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this review provides an overview of telemedicine use and effectiveness in cardiology, with emphasis on coronary artery disease in the postpandemic context. Prepandemic studies tend to report statistically insignificant or modest improvements in cardiovascular disease outcome from telemedicine use to usual care. In contrast, postpandemic studies tend to report positive outcomes or comparable acceptance of telemedicine use to usual care. Today, telemedicine can effectively replace in person follow-up visits to produce comparable (but not necessarily superior) outcomes in cardiovascular disease management. A benefit of telemedicine is the potential reduction in follow-up time or time to intervention, which may lead to earlier detection and prevention of adverse events. Nonetheless, barriers remain to effective telemedicine implementation in the postpandemic context. Ensuring accessible and user-friendly telemedicine devices, maintaining adherence to remote rehabilitation procedures, and normalizing use of telemedicine in routine follow-up visits are examples. Current knowledge gaps include the true economic cost of telemedicine infrastructure, feasibility of use in specific cardiology contexts, and sex/gender differences in telemedicine use. Future telemedicine developments will need to address these concerns before acceptance of telemedicine as the new standard of care.