Table 1 Characteristics of included studies
From: Telemedicine in the primary care of older adults: a systematic mixed studies review
1st author (Year), Country | Population (Sample size, main eligibility criteria, age, sex) | Setting | Types of TM | Category of Reported Outcomes (Measuring tools) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials | ||||
Chae (2001) [27], Ireland | 50 older adults who received home care services, Mean age of 67.5 years old (44% Female) | Home health services (HHS) by the Kwachun Community Health Promotion Center (CHPC) | Videoconference consultation | General care experience (Non-validated questionnaire) |
Service use and usability (Non-validated questionnaire) | ||||
Welch (2000) [19], USA | 512 older adults visiting their physician, Mean age of 68 years old (0% Female) | Two Veterans' Administration general medical clinics | Phone consultation | General care experience (Validated questionnaire: Patient Satisfaction questionnaire [39]) |
Service use and usability (Administrative database—Veterans' Administration (VA) national database) | ||||
Health-related and behavioural outcomes (Validated questionnaire: Short Form-36 Health Survey [40]; Non-validated questionnaire from original telephone care study [41]) | ||||
Quantitative Non-Randomized Studies | ||||
Benaque (2020) [29], Spain | 7382 older adults with cognitive disorders, Mean age not reported, (Sex distribution not reported) | Fundacio ́ ACE non-profit organization "memory clinic" | Videoconference and phone consultation | General care experience (Validated questionnaire: Healthcare Professionals’ Perceptions [42]) |
Service use and usability (Administrative data) | ||||
Jiwa (2005) [25], UK | 182 older adults who received a phone consultation with a physician or a nurse, Mean age of 78.5 years old (43% Female) | Five primary care practices | Phone consultation | General care experience (Non-validated Questionnaire) |
Health-related and behavioural outcomes (Validated questionnaire: Patient Enablement Instrument [43]) | ||||
Khoong (2020) [24], USA | 40 older adults who were scheduled to receive a phone consultation with a clinician, Mean age not reported (75.2% Female) | Women’s health or general medicine clinic in an urban safety-net system | Videoconference consultation | General care experience (Non-validated questionnaire) |
Lam (2020) [23], USA | 4525 older adults from a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries, Mean age of 79.6 years old (57% Female) | National Health and Aging Trends Study database | Phone consultation | General care experience (Survey data from the National Health and Aging Trend Study [44]) |
Van Houwelingen (2015) [20], Netherlands | 207 nurses providing care to older adults, Mean age not reported (94.5% Female) | Home care organizations located in the middle, western, and southern areas of the Netherlands | Videoconference consultation | General care experience (Non-validated Questionnaire; Validated questionnaire: Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) scale [45]) |
Quantitative Descriptive Studies | ||||
Bujnowska-Fedak (2014) [28], Poland | 286 older patients visiting their physician, Mean age of 73.8 years old (64% Female) | 250 general practices in southwest Poland’s Lower Silesia Province | Videoconference and phone consultation | General care experience (Interviews) |
Jácome (2018) [26], Portugal | 120,269 older adults calling a nurse-led telephone line, Mean age of 77.3 years old (63% Female) | Nurse-led health triage, screening, counselling and referral telephone line | Phone consultation | Service use and usability (Administrative database—Linha Saúde 24 (S24) administration system—public–private partnership integrated into the National Health Service) |
Samples (2019) [22], USA | 49 clinicians using telemedicine with older adults, Mean age not reported (Sex distribution not reported) | Seattle Veterans Affairs Primary Care Clinic | Videoconference consultation | General care experience (Non-validated questionnaire) |
Townsend (2001) [21], USA | 530 older adults who received a phone consultation with a nurse, Mean age not reported (Sex distribution not reported) | 3 Veterans' Administration system (electronic record) primary care geriatric Clinic | Phone consultation | Service use and usability (Administrative data, Veterans' Administration system (VA)) |
Qualitative Studies | ||||
Blozik (2012) [35], Switzerland | 1 older adult who received a phone consultation with a physician, Age of 69 years old (Male) | Swiss Center for Telemedicine | Phone consultation | General care experience (Case report) |
Foster (2001) [34], UK | 30 older adults who attended community or day centers, Mean age not reported (87% Female) | Out-of-hours primary care services from community groups based in southeast London | Phone consultation | General care experience (Focus groups) |
Franzosa (2021) [33], USA | 13 healthcare providers providing care to older adults, Mean age not reported, (86% Female) | Six NYC-area practices in home-based primary care | Videoconference consultation | General care experience (Semi-structured interviews) |
Service use and usability (Semi-structured interviews) | ||||
Kung (2016) [32], China | 10 older adults who attended a local public primary care clinic, Mean age of 74 years old (60% Female) | Single General Outpatient Clinic (GOPC) in Hong Kong | Videoconference consultation | General care experience (Semi-structured interviews) |
Nymberg (2019) [31], Sweden | 15 older adults who attended a primary heath care center (PHCC) and had at least one chronic disease (hypertension, diabetes, COPD), Mean age of 73.2 years old (53.3% Female) | Three primary health care centers (PHCCs) in Southern Sweden | Videoconference and phone consultation | General care experience (Focus groups) |
Waterworth (2018) [30], New Zealand | 21 older adults who attended a general practice and had two or more long-term conditions, Mean age of 77 years old, (52% Female) | Six general Practices involved previously in research in New Zealand | Phone consultation | General care experience (Semi-structured interviews) |
Service use and usability (Semi-structured interviews) | ||||
Mixed Methods Studies | ||||
Gabrielsson-Järhult et al. (2021) [38], Sweden | 10,400 older adults who received a video consultation with a physician, (QUAN) & 26 interviews (QUAL), Mean age not reported, (QUAL: 62% Female) | National study sample registry in a Swedish region | Videoconference consultation | General care experience (Semi-structured interviews) |
Macduff et al. (2001) [37], Scotland | 173 older adults who received a video consultation with a nurse (QUAN) & 7 interviews (QUAL), Mean age not reported, (Sex distribution not reported) | Town-based general practice | Videoconference consultation | General care experience (Non-validated questionnaire; interviews) |
Van Houwelingen (2018) [36], Netherlands | 256 older adults from various clubs and organizations (QUAN) & 15 interviews (QUAL), Mean age 70 years old in phase 1 & 87 years old in phase 2, (50% Female in phase 1, 60% Female) | Community Care and general population (Patient advocacy organizations, Senior social clubs, Health care organizations, and a senior information day in Utrecht) | Videoconference consultation | General care experience (Observations; Validated questionnaires: - Technology experience [46] |
Service use and usability (Validated questionnaire: Demographic and Health-related [49]) | ||||