The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Role of Tele-Nursing in Reducing Bed Occupancy: A Systematic Review.

Aim: This systematic review examines the tele-nursing methods used during the coronavirus disease-2019 outbreak to manage the increase in patient numbers and investigates strategies for reducing hospital bed occupancy.

Method: The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The primary databases used to search the literature were PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. One hundred sixty eight articles have been reviewed. The keywords for this review included "Coronavirus Disease 2019," "tele-nursing," and "bed occupancy." Equivalent terms were derived from Medical Subject Headings and expert opinions and extracted from related articles.

Results: Out of the 168 records identified through the initial database search, seven articles were ultimately included in the final stage of this review after a thorough analysis of their features and content to address the study questions. The results of this systematic review, based on the content analysis of the selected studies, reveal various approaches used worldwide to manage the influx of patients in hospitals due to COVID-19 infection. The findings also highlight strategies employed to reduce bed occupancy, along with the challenges faced in implementing telenursing. The results are summarized into three main themes: current care models, challenges in establishing telenursing, and strategies to decrease bed occupancy.

Conclusion: Tele-nursing and virtual care are crucial for reducing bed occupancy during disasters like coronavirus disease 2019. Creating communication infrastructure, developing distance education through virtual space, licensing the private sector to run tele-nursing, clarifying the medical and legal responsibilities of telehealth, developing protocols of care, community education, and using new technology for remote consultation are ways to facilitate tele-nursing and reduce hospital bed occupancy.