Waqas Ahmed, Teoh Soo Huat, Lapão Luís Velez, Messina Luiz Ary, Correia Jorge César
Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Lifestyle Science Cluster, Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
J Med Internet Res. 2020 Oct 2;22(10):e18835. doi: 10.2196/18835.
BACKGROUND: In recent decades, advances in information technology have given new momentum to telemedicine research. These advances in telemedicine range from individual to population levels, allowing the exchange of patient information for diagnosis and management of health problems, primary care prevention, and education of physicians via distance learning. OBJECTIVE: This scientometric investigation aims to examine collaborative research networks, dominant research themes and disciplines, and seminal research studies that have contributed most to the field of telemedicine. This information is vital for scientists, institutions, and policy stakeholders to evaluate research areas where more infrastructural or scholarly contributions are required. METHODS: For analyses, we used CiteSpace (version 4.0 R5; Drexel University), which is a Java-based software that allows scientometric analysis, especially visualization of collaborative networks and research themes in a specific field. RESULTS: We found that scholarly activity has experienced a significant increase in the last decade. Most important works were conducted by institutions located in high-income countries. A discipline-specific shift from radiology to telestroke, teledermatology, telepsychiatry, and primary care was observed. The most important innovations that yielded a collaborative influence were reported in the following medical disciplines, in descending order: public environmental and occupational health, psychiatry, pediatrics, health policy and services, nursing, rehabilitation, radiology, pharmacology, surgery, respiratory medicine, neurosciences, obstetrics, and geriatrics. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a continuous rise in scholarly activity in telemedicine, we noticed several gaps in the literature. For instance, all the primary and secondary research central to telemedicine was conducted in the context of high-income countries, including the evidence synthesis approaches that pertained to implementation aspects of telemedicine. Furthermore, the research landscape and implementation of telemedicine infrastructure are expected to see exponential progress during and after the COVID-19 era.
背景:近几十年来,信息技术的进步为远程医疗研究注入了新的活力。远程医疗的这些进步涵盖了从个体到群体层面,允许通过远程学习来交换患者信息以进行健康问题的诊断和管理、初级保健预防以及医生教育。 目的:这项科学计量学调查旨在研究合作研究网络、主要研究主题和学科,以及对远程医疗领域贡献最大的开创性研究。这些信息对于科学家、机构和政策利益相关者评估需要更多基础设施或学术贡献的研究领域至关重要。 方法:为进行分析,我们使用了CiteSpace(4.0 R5版本;德雷塞尔大学),这是一款基于Java的软件,可进行科学计量学分析,尤其是可视化特定领域的合作网络和研究主题。 结果:我们发现,在过去十年中,学术活动显著增加。最重要的研究工作是由高收入国家的机构开展的。观察到学科从放射学向远程中风、远程皮肤病学、远程精神病学和初级保健的特定转变。产生合作影响的最重要创新在以下医学学科中报道,按降序排列:公共环境与职业健康、精神病学、儿科学、卫生政策与服务、护理学、康复学、放射学、药理学、外科学、呼吸医学、神经科学、产科学和老年医学。 结论:尽管远程医疗的学术活动持续增加,但我们注意到文献中存在一些空白。例如,远程医疗所有的主要和次要研究都是在高收入国家的背景下进行的,包括与远程医疗实施方面相关的证据综合方法。此外,预计在2019冠状病毒病(COVID - 19)大流行期间及之后,远程医疗基础设施的研究格局和实施将取得指数级进展。
J Med Internet Res. 2020-10-2
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020-5-26
Australas Psychiatry. 2020-10
J Med Internet Res. 2020-9-9
Front Public Health. 2022
JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2020-4-2
Healthcare (Basel). 2025-8-18
J Multidiscip Healthc. 2025-3-4
Digit Health. 2024-11-13
J Med Internet Res. 2024-10-29
Healthcare (Basel). 2024-9-14
Int J Med Inform. 2019-8-13
Health Aff (Millwood). 2017-3-1
World J Psychiatry. 2016-6-22
Diabetes Technol Ther. 2016-2-3
J Occup Med Toxicol. 2015-10-24
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015-9-7
Pediatrics. 2015-1
Int J Med Inform. 2014-10
Telemed J E Health. 2014-9