Telehealth in sarcoidosis: a scoping review.

Abstract

Introduction: Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that causes functional and physical limitations in patients, negatively impacting their quality of life. Telehealth can provide a solution to improve healthcare services for these patients, regardless of their social and economic status. This research explores the various telehealth technologies and their applications for patients with sarcoidosis.

Material and methods: This scoping review was conducted in 2024 with a comprehensive search in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest databases. Following screening and duplicate removal, relevant data were extracted and analyzed.

Results: Out of 821 studies, only 6 studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings showed that mHealth technologies have good acceptance among patients and healthcare providers in managing sarcoidosis symptoms, such as fatigue, stress, and physical activity levels, and improving quality of life. Also, activity tracker technology, alone or in combination with other remote monitoring tools, increases exercise performance, reduces fatigue, and allows for continuous monitoring of the disease status. Hence, it has the potential to be integrated into long-term care programs for patients with sarcoidosis. In addition, telerehabilitation technology could be an acceptable option for patients, but its effectiveness in improving exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with sarcoidosis requires further investigation.

Conclusion: mHealth and activity tracker technology showed promising results in improving sarcoidosis management and increasing patients' motivation and adherence to treatment, but further studies are required to assess the effectiveness of telerehabilitation. Overall, telehealth has significant potential to improve the care of sarcoidosis patients, but further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of these technologies.