Impact of telemedicine on chronic disease patients: An overview of systematic reviews

Abstract

Telemedicine has gained prominence in managing chronic diseases, particularly post-COVID-19. However, interventions often lack consistent categorization based on patient engagement levels, and evidence of efficacy remains heterogeneous. This review synthesized findings from systematic reviews to evaluate the benefits and challenges of telemedicine for chronic disease management. A systematic search of the Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases was conducted to identify systematic reviews with meta-analyses published between January 2022 and December 2024. The Triple Aim framework was used to assess the impact of telemedicine on clinical outcomes, patient experience, and healthcare costs. A framework for digital patient engagement levels was developed to explore the relationship between engagement levels and intervention effectiveness. A total of 81 systematic reviews met the inclusion criteria. Among these, 31% focused on cardiovascular diseases, 30% on diabetes, 28% on cancer, 4% on chronic lung diseases, and 7% on general chronic conditions. Intervention levels were categorized as consultation (9%), involvement (42%), partnership/shared leadership (13%), or unspecified (36%). Clinical outcomes were reported in 61 reviews, patient-reported outcomes in 23, and economic impacts in only 4 reviews, indicating substantial research gaps. Telemedicine enhances patient care experiences and population health, demonstrating substantial benefits in managing diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular, and chronic lung diseases. It holds considerable potential for reducing healthcare costs. However, further research is needed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of telemedicine across different engagement levels. Furthermore, standardized methodologies and improved tools are essential to advance telemedicine research and implementation.