Evaluation of assessable telemedicine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE

Nowadays, the use of telemedicine diagnosis and treatment of various diseases has been considered by physicians, especially in such diseases as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), where patients have more weakness and inability to move. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the extent of measurable and nonmeasurable factors in patients with RA and their satisfaction with this method of care.

METHODS

The articles published by March 3, 2022, were searched in four databases, including Web of Sciences, Medline, PubMed, and Scopus. This research was conducted using the seven steps of the Cochrane Handbook as a guide. The searched keywords included telemedicine, tele-rheumatoid, rheumatoid arthritis, and immune diseases.

RESULTS

A total of 18 articles were included in the present study. In most of these studies, physicians and patients were satisfied with this approach. Nonetheless, there was a dearth of studies on the measurement of evaluable and nonevaluable factors.

CONCLUSION

Studies on the benefits of telemedicine for rheumatology are still limited. The effectiveness of this new healthcare approach in diagnosing and evaluating disease activity is still unclear. Some studies demonstrated patient and physician satisfaction with this treatment. In some cases, there is a tendency to show a high risk of bias. In addition, it is unclear to what extent the use of rheumatology traps affects the establishment of medical relationships. It is recommended that more clinical trials be conducted to examine this relationship.