Harnessing telehealth for multimorbidity management in rural and remote areas: A scoping review of interventions, outcomes, and implementation dynamics.

Background: Multimorbidity, the coexistence of two or more chronic diseases, affects 37% of adults globally, especially in rural areas with limited healthcare access. This burden leads to poorer health outcomes. Telehealth offers a solution by improving access to care. This scoping review explored the use of telehealth for managing multimorbidity in rural and remote areas.

Methods: A protocol was registered on Open Science Framework. Four databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles published in English from 2010 to 2024, focusing on telehealth interventions for multimorbidity in rural and remote areas.

Results: Out of 9,090 screened records, 15 articles were included in the review. Eight articles reported health outcomes (including five randomised controlled trials), while seven identified facilitators and barriers. Telehealth interventions were categorised as synchronous (5/15) and asynchronous (10/15), and they predominantly targeted physical health conditions (73%). Mixed effects on physiological outcomes were noted, with some studies reporting reductions in blood pressure and glycated haemoglobin. Mental health outcomes generally showed significant reductions in depression and anxiety. Facilitators included telehealth infrastructure, stakeholder engagement, and digital literacy, while barriers reflected the opposite.

Conclusion: This review highlights that telehealth interventions can be cost-effective and improve access and health outcomes in rural and remote areas. However, the variability in findings emphasises the need for standardised implementation and further research to ascertain reliability. Future studies should explore strategies to address barriers and optimise telehealth interventions for managing multimorbidity in these settings.